Restless (sequel to Sleepless)
by Crazyaniknowit
Summary: A collection of day-to-day, same universe "drabbles" I suppose. Takes place between the month it takes for the Scouting Legion to prepare for the current trip to Shiganshina in the manga. Continues on from its prequel story: Sleepless. Bad description I know XD. Eren x Mikasa. Might be implied Levi x Hanji. Rated M. Romance. Lemon. Multi-chapter. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel to Sleepless. I didn't want to make it part of the same story so that the original could stay T. This one, however, is a solid M, and if you know me, you know why. Gah! I just love writing first timers, it's always so fun and cute. Anywho, enjoy!**

 **Rated M for explicit sexual situations.**

 **Summary: Mikasa and Eren's developing relationship in the Sleepless universe.**

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It's been a couple weeks, maybe a bit less, since her teary confession. They've moved back to the castle they once lived in a month or so back. She thinks it seems unreal, how only a handful of days feels like forever. Maybe it's just because she's savoring her time with him, but each day feels like hours upon hours of unending bliss. Just finally knowing he loves her in return is so satisfying. She finds he often sends soft smiles her way during their drills, or in the mess hall. She sits closer to him now, gently touching and sometimes holding hands privately under the table.

She's been observing him, and she realizes she's never known how easy it is to make him blush. Especially in public. He gets so flustered when she lays a simple peck on his cheek. It greatly amuses her, as she initially thought she would be the one to get flustered like that. Now she does it just to see him bite his lip and look away with rosy skin and a slight, bashful smile. It suits him, and she finds it attractive, she even tells him she does.

He often half-heartedly scolds her for acting like that in public, but she sees his flattered smile and she knows he doesn't mean it. So she keeps doing it. Sometimes she even gives him a full-on kiss, not when anyone is around though. She does get flustered in that circumstance. Only because he tends to get frisky when she kisses him. She usually ends up pressed against a wall as he ravages her mouth.

Well, perhaps "ravages" isn't the right word. He's always gentle, but there's an underlying aggressiveness in his movements, as if he's holding himself back. She tells him every time they are alone at night that she thinks she's almost ready, and he always perks. Those beautiful green eyes sparkle in anticipation and she gives him warm smiles in return.

She always sleeps in his bed now. At least, after she's slept in her own for a couple hours, sneaking out during the witching hour to go snuggle beneath his covers and feel his arm around her waist. He never goes a night without planting soft kisses on her shoulder or neck, and a couple times they've gone a little farther than they should have in her opinion.

Like that one night she slipped beneath the covers and his hands wandered from her waist to that forbidden point between her thighs. She didn't reprimand him as she figured she should, she was rather curious as to how it might feel. Nonetheless, he didn't do much, he merely felt her through her loose clothes, exploring _her_ as though his fingertips had eyes. She still found her chest heaving with each of her breaths, however, and her core pulsed with a dire heat and need she never knew existed. He stopped after a time, mumbling apologies and she shook her head, saying she enjoyed it, and she hoped they could go farther soon.

As of now it's getting harder for her to just slip beneath his covers and go to sleep. She finds her hands wandering curiously to him, and he is far less lenient than she was that night, a few days back. He halts her and says she should only try if she's truly ready. She usually gets frustrated, and he smiles in admiration of her flushed cheeks and pouty lip. He's right after all, she still has that strange feeling of foreboding when she thinks of it. So she obeys him and goes to sleep.

Tonight, however, two days later, she feels different. When she sits beside him she can't help but feel the atmosphere of their relationship is changing. She looks at him while her fingers absentmindedly pull at her bread, observing his body language. He looks no different, in fact, he looks completely casual, oblivious to whatever change she is feeling. And it makes her wonder how he can possibly be so calm? She feels nervous. Nervous and excited, her stomach seems to flip and her heart flutters erratically.

She rests her chin on her fist, elbow propped up on the table and stares at him. Her eyes are drawn to his jaw, neck, collarbone, chest...God, she loves that shirt! She can see his chiseled muscles just beneath the small "V" in the fabric. He never laces it up, and it's a tantalizing tease for her. Her gaze wanders down, remembering how she saw his pajamas hanging so, _so low_ on his hips the other day. There's another "V" she admires, and the thought of it causes her stomach to flip for a whole new reason. It also brings a warm blush tingling into her cheeks.

She smiles and bites her lip, noticing his eyes again. He still seems oblivious to her intense scrutiny of his features. She nearly sighs like a love-struck schoolgirl as she admires those burning, glittering, teal orbs. She's certain that's her absolute favorite color by now, a color so rich and beautiful it can't seem to decide between blue or green, deciding to be both.

She knows they are the color of something vast, beautiful even, perhaps something she imagined in her head. She often compares them to the color of a lake in her mind, maybe she's thinking of the ocean? She's never seen it, of course, but if a lake can look so similar to his eyes, perhaps the ocean, which is rumored to be bigger, can be similar too? She smiles slightly at the thought, how coincidental that would be, if his eyes were the same color as that ocean he's so desperate to get outside the walls and see.

Those beautiful eyes turn in her direction, and she starts when she realizes he's looking at her. His lip quirks up and his face morphs into this smug, knowing expression that makes her blush. "What are you looking at?" he teases, "See something you like?" he nudges her gently and she giggles.

"Yes, actually..." her voice forms the words before she can really think about saying them, and both their eyes widen.

He turns to her and stares for a moment, she shrinks in her seat, hiding behind her soft, ebony hair. "Mikasa?" his mouth twists into a smile as he peers around her hair, "Were you ogling me?"

She gapes at him, her cheeks feel like they are on fire and she covers her face with her hands in embarrassment. "No..." she mumbles, rather unconvincingly.

"Awww!" he coos, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her cheek, despite the fact that they are in public. "And she's all embarrassed." he says to himself. "I'll admit, I ogle you too, so I don't blame you." he adds with a smirk.

She whacks his chest and grins, looking away when he tries to plant another kiss on her cheek. She notices their fellow recruits giving them strange glances, including Armin (though he looks more relieved than suspicious or curious). But, despite the fact that she's slightly shy over their relationship (not as shy as Eren, but still...), she finds she doesn't really mind. In fact, she kind of _wants_ them to see her interactions with him. She _wants_ people to know they are more than friends. So she doesn't hide away, she leans into Eren's shoulder and rests her head on it.

He looks at her in surprise, but he says nothing, going back to his food and behaving as if her actions are entirely normal. She smiles, glad for his acceptance of her display. She puts the remnants of her bread into her mouth and breathes deeply, her thoughts drift back to how strange she feels. It's as if the air is pulsing with Eren's presence, and she has this dire need to be close to him. She also feels a hunger, a loud, insistent hunger that begs her to let him touch her. In conclusion, she feels as though she's starving for him.

She wonders if this is a sign that she is ready, ready to take that one, huge step forward in their relationship. The thought of being his completely, body and soul, _tonight_ even _,_ doesn't have the same effect it has had for the past week or so. Usually the thought makes her feel uncomfortable, and she has this extreme anxiety that she can't explain. Her mind freezes up when she thinks of it. But _now..._ now the thought makes her feel anxious in a whole new way. As if she cannot wait to take that step. As if she _needs_ to take that step.

She taps his arm to get his attention, "Eren?"

He looks at her and studies her features. He can see she's thinking long, hard, and deeply about something important, he grows curious, and a little excited. Excited to discover what she's thinking about, whether it's good or bad. "Yes, Mikasa?"

She looks around the mess hall and frowns, "I..." she begins, biting her lip. She can't really think of a way to get him alone so she can talk to him about it. "I want to go on a walk." she says hesitantly, looking at him for his approval. "Come with me?"

He ponders the request, it's not as if she's never asked him on a walk before, but he feels something is different now. Something about that new, foreign spark in her obsidian irises when she looks at him, and the careful grip her teeth hold on her rosy, bottom lip. It sends a shiver down his spine, and he smiles when she shyly tucks some of her ebony locks behind her ear. "Alright." he says, he stands up and swings his leg over the bench.

She takes his offered hand and follows him out of the mess hall. Her fingers tingle when he touches her, it sends electrifying jolts of some unknown origin fluttering up her arm, and she quickly realizes she's addicted to the feeling. They go outside and simply walk, heading nowhere special, just ambling about. There's a small path in the nearby woods, so they follow it, not really knowing where it leads.

She tightens her grip on his arm when a spike of nerves hit her. She's suddenly nervous again, she doesn't know how to tell him she's ready, what if she uses the wrong words? But then again, words aren't always necessary to convey these things are they? Maybe if she kisses him just right, or just uses her body language, then she can convey her question to him? Let him know what she wants.

With that in mind, she looks at him out of the corner of her eye, and sees that he looks deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?" she asks.

"I was going to ask the same." he replies, stopping their slow gait to look at her.

She rubs her arm with the opposite hand and glances at her surroundings, "I kind of wanted to be alone...with you." she admits. Rather easily, even though she isn't usually so open. But, she figures, only good can come of it. After all, last time she was open with him she gained his love. Why should she expect anything less this time?

"Oh?" he prods.

"Mhmm." she hums, rocking on her heels. She looks up and sees that he's studying her, those gorgeous eyes piercing directly into her soul. She takes a sharp breath at the sight and forces herself not to look away. "Eren?" she asks, her voice is barely audible, and she more breathes than speaks. But he hears her, and she has his full attention.

"Yes, Mikasa?" she hesitates, her foot hovering an inch off the ground. She takes a breath to steel herself and steps closer. She gingerly lifts her arms around his waist, presses her face into his chest and sighs. She doesn't answer his question, but he remains silent and returns her strange hug wholeheartedly. "What is it?" he asks after a time. She looks up at him and blinks slowly, as if she's suddenly tired.

However, inside she's quivering, at least her heart is. Her hand reaches around his neck and pulls him down so she can kiss his cheek, then his forehead. He raises an eyebrow at how she lets her lips linger longer than they need to. Her face moves to hover just before his, her lips part and she exhales shakily, noses touching in her hesitance. He thinks she looks like an alluring, dark angel, her black hair shimmers in the dim moonlight, her eyes are shadowy, and her pupils are dilated. He feels like he is beginning to understand what she wants. But she won't say it, so he can't know for certain. He's about to ask if it's what she's after, but her lips are against his in that same instant.

She's desperate, hands clawing, digging for his skin beneath the loose, green shirt he always wears. Her momentum pushes him back, and he grunts into her mouth as his back hits a tree. She doesn't relent, she's digging deeper even, her soft mouth practically devours his in an uncharacteristic roughness that surprises him. His hands move from their instinctive spots on her hips to her neck and head, threading through her raven hair just the same as her fingers that tangle in his own brown locks.

They finally part to gasp for air and she watches with fascination as a small, silvery thread of saliva snaps from bridging between their lips. She inhales and exhales heavily, looking up at him through her thick lashes. He looks surprised, but also aroused, she has no doubt about that, his pupils are dark, large, and the shining green hue of his eyes is shadowed. "Eren?" she begins, her hand stealthily, and gingerly, makes its way downward.

"Yeah?" his voice is breathless and anxious, breaking slightly on the "y".

"I want..." she can't think of what to say! How does her vocabulary regress into such a tiny spectrum of words when she needs it the most? Her hand is almost at its destination, and she wonders at his reaction to what she's going to do. She very lightly fingers his waistband, unsure of how to proceed. But her courage is building, and she wants to move forward, whether her anxious brain approves it or not.

"Want what, Mikas- _augh!_ " Eren lets out a strangled sound that seems to her like a mixture between a gasp and a cry of pain. Her hand is thrust into his pants now, and she's grasped the length of him gently. His head smacks into the tree when he throws it back and huffs heavily. She instantly feels a little worried to be honest, his reaction seems to be more like someone in pain rather than supposed bliss to her.

"Eren? Are you okay?" she releases her grip on his length and he grasps her shoulders to steady himself. She opens her mouth to ask again but this time he's attacking it with his own mouth. Before she can truly realize it, he's flipped their positions and her back is scraping roughly against the tree when he thrusts his hips into hers. It's her turn to throw her head back and moan, long and low, over the repeating spikes of pleasure at her core. His kisses move to her jaw when he can no longer reach her lips.

He moves like he's the desperate one now, and her leg hikes up to rest on his hip, granting him better access to her more forbidden regions. He pulls back from her jaw with a gasp and presses his face to her shoulder, his fit of abandon slowly comes to an end. She pants heavily and stills, waiting for him to move, or say something. She's curious as to what he's thinking right about now.

"Mikasa-" he starts, pulling back to look into her shadowy, black eyes. His own orbs of color shimmer with the inky blackness of desire, but he wants to ensure that she is okay. Okay with him going all the way with her tonight, because after her blatant actions, he can't fathom holding himself back. He knows it's the reason why he held her back a couple nights before. Granted, he has played around with her, but that wasn't the same. He has never touched himself before (he was honestly too angry most of the time to focus on his changing body), but now that _she has_ , God, he doesn't think he'll ever get enough of that feeling. Though it nearly made him choke on his own breath out of surprise, he's honestly _never_ expected it out of her.

"-are you...sure?" he asks, anxious for her answer. Last time she instigated this she wasn't ready, he hopes she truly is now. He knows it's a little selfish, but he reasons it's her fault for riling him up like that.

She doesn't hesitate to answer, her face softens and a small, assuring smile finds its way onto her lips. "Yes." she breathes, her hand caressing his chest through his shirt, "I've never been more sure. I _ache_ for it..." she emphasizes, that leg is still hooked around his waist and she pulls him into her again using it. He stifles a grunt and chuckles when their noses touch, his hands move to her hips and he rests his forehead against hers.

She tilts her head when he moves her scarf, he plants one kiss there, just above her throbbing pulse point, and she gasps lightly. He's kissed her there before, but it didn't feel like this. The sensations are all so different now, everything is amplified and magnified until every place he touches feels like a fire on her skin. Warm, luscious, burning fire that spreads and fuels both her soul and her desire. "I'm not-" he plants another kiss, "-taking you-" another, closer to her jaw now, "-against a tree, on a hill, in the middle of the forest." he plants a final kiss at that on her lips, and he doesn't give her time to kiss him back, he simply pulls back and waits for her to say something.

She blushes heavily, her cheeks flooding with the rosy color that spreads across her face and even down to her neck. "Okay..." she murmurs with a slight giggle, her leg unhitches from his waist and she pushes off from the tree, forcing him to walk backwards. She opens her hand, and stands there with her head in a cat-like tilt. "Well?" she prods with a smile.

At that he takes her hand and leads her purposefully back the way they came. Her head suddenly feels light and her heart pumps with adrenaline. _'Oh my God, we are doing it...we are_ going _to do it..._ ' she says in her head, on the outside, his determination is evident on his features, his brow is furrowed lightly and his eyes burn in that one way only they can burn. _'Going into his room, he's going to take off his clothes, I'm going to take off mine...oh God! Why am I scared_ now? _I was fine a second ago!'_ she silently panics in her head, and she nearly trips over the threshold of the kitchen door. When did they arrive at the castle? She wasn't paying attention.

She offers up a random prayer to whatever deity is up there in the sky and asks that he calm her racing thoughts. It kind of helps. She breathes deeply as they grow nearer to their destination, and she feels her trembling limbs begin to still. _'Thank you God!'_ she prays one last time, despite not being sure if some all-powerful being intervened, or she calmed herself down just by thinking a god might.

Suddenly they are in his room, and they are just standing, unsure of exactly what to do next. She feels his fingers flex around hers and she chances looking at him. She follows his contemplative gaze to the bed in the corner of the room, and she feels her cheeks burning again. He shuffles his feet and looks at her, she can feel his gaze burning into her skull and it makes her tremble again. He releases her hand and moves to shut the door, she hears the click of the lock and her body gives another irrepressible shudder.

His hands are on her shoulders now, sliding down to gently grasp her arms and bring them to her chest while he hugs her from behind. She exhales shakily when his lips begin to caress her upper neck, and she cranes her head to the side to give him further access. He's going so slowly, so patiently, and it warms her heart, she doesn't really even feel like it's such a big step anymore. He progresses gradually, inching her towards the bed, and before she knows it she is turning to sit on the edge beside him.

Their foreheads are resting against each other again, and he gives her a hesitant smile. She realizes he's nervous too, she doesn't know why she didn't expect him to be. After all, he's never done this before either. One of his hands runs down her arm and gives her chills that make her giggle. His smile widens at that and he presses a kiss to her nose. She scrunches it and finally gives him a smile back, her fingers move to his shirt and grasp the fabric tightly, as if it's a lifeline.

His fingers move likewise to her shirt, but rather than grasp at the white material, he fishes under her scarf for the first button. Her breath hitches in her throat when she feels him undo it, feels her shirt begin to loosen. Her grasp on him tightens and she blushes again when he reaches the third or fourth button. He's not looking at her slowly revealing skin, he's gazing directly into her eyes while he works.

She trembles again when he undoes the final button on her shirt, and he helps her shrug it off her shoulders. Only now does he look down to appraise what he can see so far, his gaze is appreciative, a finger traces her side and she giggles at the ticklish sensation. The scarf goes next, and she reaches longingly for the maroon cloth as it is draped over the headboard. Now that her torso is almost completely bare, he motions for her to scoot up onto the bed.

She complies and shuffles back until she's sitting lengthwise in the middle of the bed. He pulls his shirt over his head and moves to join her, evening the playing field. She feels a small smile tug at her lips from the sight. Damn! She has a lot to thank the 3DMG for, like that chiseled chest, sculpted arms, and his very... _very_ well-toned abs. His Titan form even comes to mind at the sight. Seriously, one could cut themselves on them. _'Okay that's exaggerating.'_ she tells her mind. He catches her admiring and he grins bashfully, looking to the side.

He hasn't missed that she is very well built too. In fact, her abs would put his to shame. He's felt them before, while she was laying beside him those past nights. He'd run his hand over her stomach and feel the soft ridges of those muscles, curious to know what she looked like under that loose shirt she always wore to bed. Now he knows, and he sure appreciates the sight. She's like a war goddess or something, like those old, mythological beings Armin told him about.

She pulls her shoes off, he's already done that so he waits. Then her thumbs hook under her bra, and she bites her lip as she lifts it. He's never seen a woman's chest before, at least, not since he was a toddler. He has a vague, very vague memory of his mother in the bath, but never a clear picture. And besides, he was a _toddler_ , so the sight meant nothing to him, it didn't register very well in his memory.

Her soft mounds are well in sight before she's finished pulling the tight clothing over her head, and he goes entirely still, taking it in. She doesn't bother to care where she tosses the underclothing, she just lets it fly from her hands and brings her arms down under her breasts self-consciously. He honestly doesn't expect to feel like the sight is attractive, she glances up at him through her lashes and he's atop her in the next instant.

She gasps as his lips capture hers and push her back, her shoulders touch the mattress and her body bounces just slightly against the soft surface. He's already moved from her mouth and to her jaw, neck, collarbone, hands gripping her hips tightly as he suckles there. She moans lightly and buries her hands in his hair, just holding onto him while he acts. He's left a bright red mark on the defined ridge of her collarbone, and he stops afterwards, looking up at her.

She has this gorgeous expression on her face, eyes fluttering while closed, her lips parted in a soft gape and her cheeks blooming with a rosy color. The sight of it spikes his arousal and he kisses her chin, making her open her eyes and look at him. She smiles, accepting his next slow, passionate kiss. She hums into his mouth and inhales sharply as his hand moves to touch her breast. He cups the soft flesh in his hand and breaks the kiss to peer down at his actions. She breathes heavily, and it makes her chest rise and fall enticingly.

His next move she doesn't anticipate, and he doesn't blame her, he thinks it's kind of silly, but he wants to caress her breast with his mouth and tongue. It just feels like he's meant to. So he moves to entrap the perked bud of her right breast within his warm mouth, and the sound she makes before she throws her head back is more than worth it. " _Eren_..." she gasps his name and he can't hold back his own aroused gasp when he hears it.

She's never said his name like that before, he never thought it could sound like that. He wants to make her say it again, and again, and again. He also wants to get rid of his pants, they are growing tighter by the minute and he can't stand it. She looks down and watches as he sits up to loosen the ties on them. She bites her lip with an appreciative smile. There's that "V" she loves so much, and the shape of his hips, _oh God_ he's stripping.

She feels her lower regions pulsing in time with her rapid heartbeat, and she would be lying if she said she didn't feel a little damp down there too. He doesn't seem to care at all that he's completely bare now, tugging his last clothing from his feet and tossing them aside. She blinks and observes him, that brief feel she got of it earlier certainly wasn't enough to prepare her for the sight of his length. She catches herself staring, however, and stops herself. After all, she doesn't want to make him feel self-conscious. She doesn't dislike the sight though, strange as it may be for her virgin eyes, she rather admires it in fact.

His hands are on her loose pants, she realizes, and he's pulling them off in the next instant. Her breath hitches again when he removes her last article of clothing, finally baring her to his appreciative gaze. She presses her thighs together instinctively and he smiles as he reaches to spread them again. His finger runs dangerously close to her lower lips, a light tease to her already impatient libido.

He goes still, his breath heavy as he sits on his knees between her legs and bites his lip, the next step is a little frightening. She feels it too, the nervous flutter of her heart and the weight of anxiety in her stomach. He meets her eyes and smiles, chuckling nervously, she returns the smile and wraps her arms around her chest. "Scared?" she asks.

He looks to the side, blushing just slightly, "A little. Aren't you?" he asks worriedly, as if he fears she might be feeling braver than him at the moment.

"Terrified." she says with a genuine grin, her eyes crinkling in amusement when his eyes widen.

"Okay..." he murmurs, his hands go to her hips and he leans down to press a kiss to one. Now, he knows he can't just start right away, he wants her to be satisfied with her first time. And from what he's heard from the boys in the barracks, most girls aren't. He didn't intentionally learn that fact, he simply overheard it in whispers when the other teens in his barrack talked about their experiences.

His lips move to the soft apex of her inner thigh, taking in the foreign nuances of her appearance. There are a few light, thin stretch marks there, just above her compelling womanhood. He finds them to be very cute, endearing even, and he kisses them lightly. He hopes it reassures her that he doesn't care if her skin isn't flawless.

It does, she is always frowning over those little marks when she studies herself in the mirror. Seeing him appreciate them like that makes her feel warm and fuzzy inside. He hesitates only briefly before his mouth is on her, and she cries out in both surprise and pleasure. " _Ahh..E-Eren..."_ she breathes, her hands grip the pillow her head rests on tightly, flexing each time he moves his tongue. Although it's strange, having his mouth down there, she can't bring herself to say no, not when it feels like this.

He continues like that for some time, exploring her thoroughly and excessively. By the time she's halfway to a climax she's writhing on the bed, overwhelmed with this sensation that she's never felt before. One hand reaches down to thread through his hair and pull him closer. Her fingers flex continuously in his locks as she gasps and moans his name.

His jaw is starting to become sore, but he doesn't stop, he just adds fingers, which makes her hips buck up into his touch and elicits a quiet "Oh _God_..." from her. She tightens her grip on his hair and gives a strangled sound when one of his fingers manages to slide into her. He frowns at the sensation, it's a rather tight fit, and he can't help but wonder how on earth _he's_ going to fit. He supposes that's why they say it's painful her first time.

On her end, the already almost unbearably intense sensations pooling in her abdomen amplify at the addition of his finger thrusting lightly into her. She feels like a rubber band, honestly, like her insides are being pulled until they have stretched too far, and she cries out when she finally snaps. There's an explosion of white behind her eyelids as her body stiffens, her back arches against the mattress, and insane waves of pleasure emanate from her core.

He's over her now, she doesn't need to open her eyes to know, his hand is on her mouth, letting her know just a little too late that she should try to be quiet. After all, they only left the lunch hall little-over twenty minutes ago, everyone is still awake, and some could be roaming the halls even. Worse case scenario, a Squad Leader could pass by the door while she's mewling and crying out in pleasure.

"Hey?" he prods, gently stroking her shoulder until she opens her eyes. She looks at him and hums, her chest heaving from his recent ministrations. "You okay?" he asks.

"Yes." she nods, and a smile breaks onto her face. She notices his face is " _dirty_ ", and she hides hers behind her hands in embarrassment. "Why did you do _that?_ Didn't you think it was gross? Your face all in my... _eww!_ " she giggles, peeking out between her fingers briefly, only to press them back together at the sight of his twinkling eyes.

He laughs and wipes at his mouth (for the third time he thinks), "I dunno, not really...I heard girls like it." he shrugs.

"Well yeah..." she admits with a small smile, then furrows her brows, "Where did you hear that?" she suddenly asks, a raised eyebrow shows her (mostly playful) suspicion.

"Somewhere." he teases, and she swats at his arm. "Some of the boys, you overhear things." he explains, laying atop her, his arms crossed over her stomach and his chin perched atop his hands.

She nods, she's surely had her fair share of (somewhat) unwanted information poured into her ears by her fellow trainees. "I see." she murmurs, her finger plays with his lip absentmindedly, and she smiles softly when he kisses it. Gosh, she feels like all she has done lately is smile over and over again. "Anything else you ' _overheard'_ that you want to show me?" she challenges with a smirk.

He scoffs, "No..." he whispers, moving to hover over her. She shrinks back into the pillow at the sight of that playful, predatory gaze of his. She feels her cheeks grow warm again, why won't he stop making her blush? He plants his arms on either side of her and shuffles his hips, using his knees to part her thighs. She looks down with a gulp, that nervous weight in her stomach again. "Do you still want me to?" he asks when he sees her eyes flash anxiously.

She looks back into his own eyes and nods, she reaches her hand around his nape and pulls him in for a tender, gentle kiss. He shifts to one side while he reaches down to ensure he's lined up properly, and then his arm is back and he's pushing. The kiss breaks when her jaw tenses and her teeth grit together at the sharp sting of her core opening up to accept him. Her eyes screw shut and she inhales sharply. It's all done in an instant, as he doesn't stop, and he goes all the way. Swiftly, yet gently. But the initial, stinging pulse of pain lingers for a minute or so afterwards.

His face is buried into her shoulder and he pants heavily, as if it's just as overwhelming for him as it is for her. In honesty it is. He was not expecting anything like this, granted, he knows from what he heard that it is a great experience, but still, he isn't really prepared. He does feel kind of guilty for enjoying it so much when he sees her pinched expression and shimmering eyes, though. "Y-you okay?" he stammers, his arms shaking slightly from holding himself up.

She nods, her eyes drift closed again, "Stay still...just for a minute." she instructs. He obeys without question, she sighs as she relaxes her muscles and allows herself to adjust to his girth. She breathes deeply and opens her eyes, she looks up at him with a smile and he knows she's ready. He moves a little and she gasps, her legs wrap around his waist and he feels her calves flex with his movements as he thrusts lightly. She arches up against him and moans, her fingernails dig into his shoulders, and he grunts at the slight sting of her scratching. It's a fair trade, he rationalizes, it looked rather painful for him to enter her, after all.

He continuously moves, huffing loudly against her shoulder, and she moans into his ear, growing slightly louder with each thrust. He knows he isn't going to last long, this being his first time, so he doesn't bother holding back. He can perfect his stamina and technique later, for now they can be sloppy and quick. He feels like a rubber band too. White-hot pleasure pools in his abdomen, it makes him go faster. She gasps at his movements and her head is thrown back again. He lets out a loud moan of his own once he snaps, he can't really help it, it's his first climax _ever_. It's like water rushing through his body in waves, and he shudders as they wash over him. His arms give way sometime during his orgasmic experience.

He thinks he sees stars after his eyes open again, but one blink wipes them all away. He moves to look at her face, to see how she is feeling, and she opens her own eyes. A smile quickly spreads over her features and she laughs. He chuckles, although he doesn't know why they are laughing, and pecks her lips lightly. Their bodies are slathered in sweat and he has the distant thought that maybe they can take a bath tomorrow...together. He realizes he somewhat crushed her beneath him when he collapsed, so he apologizes for it. "Also, I was too fast." he purses his lips in disappointment at that and she shakes her head.

"It's fine, it's only the first time after all." she assures, and he's glad she understands that.

"Man..." he sighs, he pulls out gingerly and rolls to her side. She shuffles to make room for him and he closes his eyes, feeling her lay her chin atop his chest. "That was...different, in a good way." he says, his hand moves to thread through her hair and she nods. Her fingers trace the outlines of his muscles and he hums a light chuckle when she reaches his abs. "That tickles." he murmurs.

"Sorry." she smiles against his pectoral and kisses his skin. At that he opens his eyes and looks at her, studying her satisfied expression.

' _Good. That's very good.'_ , he thinks to himself, after all, that's exactly what he started out this night wanting for her. He wants her to be satisfied, and that smile says he succeeded. His arm pulls her torso closer, and she shuffles to throw her leg over his. "How do you feel?" he asks.

She snuggles closer and inhales his scent, "Happy." she breathes, and he smiles, it's very good indeed.

"We should get some clothes on." he says absentmindedly.

"Mmhmm.." she hums, but she makes no move to do so. He scoffs in amusement and sits up, disturbing her as he shifts over her, pecks her nose, and shimmies off the bed. "Hey!" she exclaims, she sits up and covers her chest with her arms as she watches him pull those loose pants he was wearing earlier back on. They were clean after all.

He opens his dresser drawer and pulls out one of his shirts, he sits back on the bed and gestures for her to put her arms through the sleeves, she obliges with a scoff of her own. He tugs the shirt down over her and retrieves her underwear from the floor, handing it to her. It wasn't really dirty either, as she had a bath before dinner. So she shrugs and puts them back on, it's a good idea after all, she doesn't want to get any of their mixed fluids on the sheets.

At that he shuffles back onto the bed and pulls the blanket over their bodies. She appreciates that he didn't bother with his shirt, and she cuddles shamelessly into his chest with a sigh. "I wonder where everyone thinks we are.." he says suddenly.

"Try not to think about it." she murmurs, "Just go to sleep."

"You don't think they'll come looking, right?" he asks with pursed lips.

"Who gives a damn?" she shrugs.

"Pfft!" he kisses her forehead, but he doesn't argue. "I guess. Goodnight, Mikasa."

She smiles, "I love you." she whispers, the words feel different now, like sweet honey on her tongue, or something of the like. She feels his arms tighten around her, and she knows he's too tired to respond. She barely says those words herself before she's drifting off to sleep.

•

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 **A.N.**

 **Oh man that took a while, I had the first initial draft for this one written but I ended up not liking it so I scrapped it and rewrote it. Would've been out earlier if the editing didn't take so damn long.**

 **Anywho, I'm thinking this story may have more to it, so stay tuned for a possible update ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, in making this new chapter I realized something. The Sleepless-verse is like, barely a month (if that) away from what's going on in the manga. I have almost no time to tinker with, damnit! Now I think I'll have to branch off into a full-blown AU for this fic to work.**

 ***nervously bites nails* I'm open to suggestions about how things could go. Granted, if you haven't read the manga I may be a total spoiler-pot for you lol. I may just use this to fill in the month before the expedition to Shiganshina and mark it as complete when I get there. And then we'll see what happens during the final showdown before I continue and maybe make a sequel, I dunno.**

 **I really try not to make smut...I'm just incorrigible in that regard. But, there is never too much smut for a ship...right?**

 **Oh, and if updates are slow, it's likely because I'm working on my full-length, Levihan, medieval-themed AU. But don't worry, I'll keep writing one shots and updating any multi-chapter stories as much as I can :)**

 **Anywho, hope you enjoy this one. Same universe. Maybe a few days after last chapter.**

 **Not all chapters will deserve an M rating (that doesn't include this one) but most will be edgy in that regard.**

•

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When she hears that the expedition to Shiganshina is only a month away, her thoughts immediately turn to Eren. She wonders if he's heard, and if so, how he's coping with finally going home? It's likely stressful for him, and she is worried - _very worried -_ that he's going to relapse back into his old persona of hatred and rage. Although she knows that his feelings won't change even if that _does_ happen. He's not so shallow as to only feel what suits his situation. She just hates seeing him sad, angry, or vengeful. Granted, he _is_ still vengeful, but his bloodlust has been curbed greatly since they realized that the Titans might actually be human.

"Eren?" she opens his door and sees him laying sideways across his bed. He seems indifferent to everything around him, and he just stares up at the ceiling, blinking lazily.

"Yes, Mikasa?" his mumbled reply comes.

She frowns and closes the door gently behind her. She approaches the bed and sits on the opposite side from where he lays. She then leans back and lays in the same manner herself, so their heads are side-by-side and their shoulders nearly touch. "We're going back." she murmurs. "Back home."

"Mhm.." he hums, he turns his head to face her, and she follows suit.

"Are you excited to go back? Or maybe...I don't know, upset?" she asks. She knows she's prodding rather bluntly, but she doesn't want to beat around the bush. She wants him to be as open with her as she has been many times before with him these past two weeks. Well, _wants_ isn't exactly the right word, she _hopes_ he will be open.

He looks down, "A little of both." he admits, and she shifts at that. He looks back up in surprise as she sits up and moves to lay lengthwise on the bed, leaning her back against the headboard. She pats the space beside her and he can't help a small smile that creeps into his face. He shuffles until he is resting his head on her lap, and his arms are wrapped loosely around her waist.

Her fingers thread through his hair, and he sighs, "I'm mostly just worried." he continues, and he hears her hum in agreement, "I know I can deal with my emotions after it's all over and done with. But my biggest fear is I won't be able to transform and plug the walls. And then with the basement...I'm afraid of what we'll find. I can only wonder at what my dad was hiding down there." he says, and he pauses to listen to the reverberating sound of her heartbeat through her skin. "I don't like not knowing things, especially when mankind sort-of depends on me and whatever is in that damned basement." he chuckles half-heartedly at that. "You know what I mean?"

She moves her hand to his shoulder and gently runs her nails over the skin, giving him gooseflesh, "Yes. I know." she says, "You _know_ you'll be able to transform though, you have a clear goal." she assures. "But no more crazy experiments with Hanji, alright?" she adds when she thinks of the "Titan guillotine" he helped them construct over a week ago. He was in the infirmary for two full days after that, and she can't stand seeing him so pale and weak.

He sighs at that, "Those were kind of necessary, Mikasa." he mumbles.

"I know, but when it puts you at risk..." she trails off at that and bites her lip, she knows he hates it when she coddles him, "Okay, maybe not stop _entirely_...I just think you should take a break, and should only transform when you really need to. You'll be stronger for it anyway, right?"

He purses his lips as he ponders her point. But he knows she is still trying to mother him, and he scoffs with a smile at her feeble attempt to cover it up with ' _logic_ '. "I suppose. You don't need to worry though. I won't overdo it again, Mikasa." he rolls until he is facing her, and she nods hesitantly.

"Okay." she relents, her features betray her feelings though, she doesn't want to agree. And he can see it very clearly.

"Mika..." he drawls, and she narrows her eyes, he knows she doesn't really like that nickname, "Don't smile, Mika." he teases with a wide smile of his own. She realizes what he's doing and turns her head and tenses her jaw, her cheeks flush and she crosses her arms. " _Don't smile!_ " he says again, and she can't help the fact that she breaks into a magnificent grin.

"Stop it!" she swats at his arm.

"Why?" he moves to sit up, shuffling until he faces her and peers around her hair.

"Eren!" she chides when his fingers suddenly tease her sides. He discovered she was ticklish there about a week ago, and he exploits it whenever he can. She giggles and pushes at his hands, but he places them right back at her sides each time. She wiggles under his attacks and gasps for air, and he ends laughing just as much as she does. She grabs his hands firmly after the fourth or fifth time he tickles her and pants while she catches her breath, "I _don't_ like being tickled." she warns.

"How was I supposed to know?" he smirks.

"Shut up. You already _did_ know." she leans up to quickly peck him on the nose. And he doesn't let her move away, he grasps gently at her face and holds her there so he can kiss her. She closes her eyes when his arms enwrap her shoulders and he pulls her closer. Her own arms curl around his neck and she moves her mouth rhythmically with his. It's been a few days since they made love, they haven't done anything else between then and now. So she ponders if he is going to want it again tonight (that's not to say she doesn't want it too).

He breaks away only just barely, their noses still touch and he looks into her eyes with this _gorgeous_ grin that just makes her blush and giggle. He pecks her again and simply stays there, his eyes observing hers intently. "Hey, Mikasa?" he murmurs, his thumbs rubbing circles on her back.

"Hmm?" 

"How are you... _feeling?_ " he finally breaks eye contact and looks to the side meekly.

She bites her lip when she catches his drift. It's as if he is reading her mind. She shuffles on the bed and uses her legs to pull his body closer, "Good." she answers, leaning back as he follows her lead and hovers over her. " _Very_ good." she emphasizes, and he chuckles bashfully, his cheeks flush as he kisses her nose again.

"Okay." he murmurs as his lips move to her jawline.

She smiles and tilts her head to the side, allowing him to remove her scarf and press warm, open-mouthed kisses to her now-exposed neck. Her hand threads through his hair as his own hand moves to the hem of her shirt and snakes upwards. She huffs out a light gasp when he caresses her breast, and he smirks against her skin.

He likes discovering what makes her melt under him. It's not only satisfying, but he enjoys causing her pleasure and fulfillment. He's found that she likes it when he touches her soft mounds, and it's something he's sure he'll never tire of. She lifts her back up off the mattress to unhook her bra from underneath her shirt, and she is forced to sit up to remove it completely. His lips never leave her neck and jaw, and he sits up with her, helping her shrug her jacket off. She pulls her bra away and he has to do a double take when her shirt doesn't come off with it.

She giggles lightly and lays back down while he removes his jacket and shirt both at once. At this moment he's rather glad they usually take off their 3DMG after training. It would be a hassle to have to undo all those straps and belts now. He captures her lips with his own and thrusts his clothed hips lightly into her core. She gasps into his mouth and her legs are around his waist in the next second, pulling him impossibly closer.

His free hand moves down and pops the button of her pants, sliding underneath. He breaks from her mouth to move to her jawbone and she thrusts her hips up against his hand.

"Oi, brat, Hanji needs y-"

' _FUCK!'_

Eren stiffens at the voice and looks over his shoulder, he remembers he forgot to lock the door, and Captain Levi is standing there, just staring in shock (at least that's what Eren assumes). His hand slips between her folds in that exact second and he cringes as Mikasa lets out an irrepressible, wanton moan. _'Fuck on top of that fuck.'_ he thinks, and he sits up rather frantically, pulling both his hands from her clothing and running his clean hand through his messy hair. She blinks and props herself up on her elbows, peering around him to see who intruded.

"Fuck." Eren finally says aloud.

"That's what you were doing." Levi groans and presses his hand into his forehead, looking up at the two of them with a disapproving expression on his face. "Stupid, horny brats..." he mutters. "By all means! Don't let me interrupt, heaven knows it's happened to me before." he says sarcastically, "Just lock the fucking door next time! And Hanji needs you, Eren." he says as he turns to leave, not bothering to close the door.

"It's really not what it looks like." Eren calls in vain.

"It's _exactly_ what it looks like!" Levi's voice carries back through the hallways and Mikasa breaks into laughter beneath him.

"It's _n-not_ funny, Mika!" Eren stutters and covers his face to hide his raging blush. It is only their second time and they were already walked in upon.

"I hope he has nightmares for a week." she giggles, and he remembers her gradually fading grudge against the Captain.

"Pfft!" Eren blows a raspberry and sighs, standing up, "I'm sorry, I'm not gonna be able to _perform_ after that." he implies. "That positively _killed_ my libido."

She nods and sits up, buttoning her pants again. "I don't think I could expect you to." she says as she swings her legs over the bed.

He helps her stand and his eye catches the shape of her breasts through her thin shirt. She seems to feel the chill in the room and he bites his lip when her nipples peak through as well. "Then again..." he murmurs, catching her attention.

She follows his gaze and scoffs, "After dinner. Someone will come looking for us if we try now." she instructs. "And by someone I mean Hanji- _ah!_ Hey!" He grips her waist rather suddenly and she yelps as he tugs her against his body. His lips caress her jawline slowly and tantalizingly, as if he's trying to get her to relent. She simply rolls her eyes, "Eren..." she chides breathlessly.

"I know." he says with a smirk as he pulls away. "Sorry." he presses one more kiss to her lips and moves away. "Let's go, I'm kind of excited for dinner to be over." he says as he hands her bra to her.

"Of course you are." she fiddles with the material and turns away while she fixes it back on under her shirt.

"Wait-" he pauses at the door, "-did Levi say he's been walked in on before too?" he asks.

"Eren..." she raises an eyebrow at him over her shoulder as she wraps her scarf back around her neck.

"That's a _terrible_ mental image. And who the fuck would...? With _him?_ He's so icy and emotionless. Can you imagine him during...? Eeesh!" he mutters to himself, shuddering.

"Hey now, I may not be very fond of him, but that's a little uncalled for." she scolds as she joins him in the hall.

"I'll have to ask Armin who he thinks it is, he'll help me figure it out."

"Oh my God."

•

•

Hanji's need was rather simple, she only had a few questions for Eren just to clear up a small confusion in her notes. Dinner was the somewhat lengthy affair, as everyone needed to stay and help with the dishes, clean the tables, and sweep the floors. But after everything was deemed clean by the Captain, Eren was leading Mikasa by the hand to his room without a second's hesitation.

He closes the door purposefully and locks it, "No more break-ins." he mutters, and she bites her lip with a blush. His hands are on her waist and he turns her around to practically _attack_ her mouth with his own. Her breath hitches when she's up against a wall, almost exactly like that time with the tree a few nights back. And, just like then, his hips roll into hers aggressively. Her hands grip onto his shoulders tightly to keep her shaky knees from wilting beneath him. Oh _God_ , how she loves this! If it weren't so uncomfortable she'd have asked him to be like this during their first time.

The rough, animalistic passion he elicits makes her blood simmer with arousal, and she throws her head back when he sucks hard on her collarbone. He undoes her pants for the second time that night, and she shifts to help him shimmy them away, underwear and all. As soon as she's kicked the material from her heels his fingers slide down to dip inside her, and she moans as her knees go weak. His free hand grasps her thigh and hoists it up around his waist to support her.

He captures her lips in his own again while his hand moves rhythmically against her core. She lets out whines and moans that are muffled by his mouth, and he speeds his ministrations. "Shh..." he murmurs as he pulls away from her lips, moving to kiss her cheekbone and jaw. She's trying to be quiet, she really is. But with his fingers curling and twisting within her, and his rapid palming of her swollen, sensitive clit she finds it rather difficult to stay her tongue.

His fingers curl again and she thrusts up into his hand as she comes undone. " _Ahh_..." she moans, leaning up against the wall as her muscles go limp. He's holding her in place now, lips caressing her neck and he wipes his hand on his pants before he snakes it up her shirt and grips her breast gently. She inhales deeply as he slows his light kisses on her neck, and her hands move to his pants.

He stiffens and jerks when she pulls them down just enough to free him and her hand begins to massage gently. He buries his face in her shoulder and grunts, one hand moving to lay flat on the wall and support _himself_ instead. He bucks into her grip and she sniggers lightly at his movement. She's never done this before, but she sure likes how desperately it makes him behave. She supposes that's how he feels when she's writhing and mewling beneath him. A thought strikes her then, and she bites her lip when she thinks it over. He didn't _only_ use his hands the first time they did this. If it felt that way for her...how would it feel for him?

He blinks and opens his eyes when her shoulder isn't there anymore, and he's simply leaning against the wall. "Mikasa?" he asks, her hand is still on him, but he wonders what she is up to. He peers down just in time to see and _feel_ her take him in her mouth and he jolts sharply at the feeling. " _Augh!"_ he gasps and throws his head back. One thing he knows for certain, if he thinks she was bold that night when she plunged her hand into his pants, this easily topped the cake. "Fuck... _ahhh...fuck..._ " he hisses between grit teeth as she moves her mouth around the length of him.

She even sucks lightly, and at that he nearly chokes on air, " _M-Mikasa_...stop, stop now..." he pants, he feels he is close, and he doesn't want to cum just yet. He reaches down to pull her away from his length. "I-I don't think I can go twice...not yet." he says with a ragged breath. And he smiles assuringly at her when she looks up at him through those thick, gorgeous, black lashes.

"Did you like that?" she asks self-consciously as she stands back up, pecking him on the lips.

"You really thought I wouldn't?" he scoffs and kisses her back, tongue prodding deeply into her mouth and making her gasp. His fingers are back in her folds and she cries out hoarsely, thankfully muffled by the kiss. He hoists her up and she wraps her legs around his hips. Her back suddenly hits the bed before she can register that he even walked at all. Her legs dangle off the mattress and she barely catches her breath in the time it takes for him to break the kiss and his tongue to delve into her core.

She grits her teeth together to avoid making noise, yet her low moan still echoes in the room, along with the obscene sounds of his ministrations. She's sweaty, and it's too hot, so her trembling fingers move to undo her shirt, but she can't get it off completely. She presses the back of her hand to her temples and huffs out mewling breaths as he works. She bites down on the opposite hand when he moves to suck at her clit, his fingers dipping into her in place of his tongue. Her body quickly stiffens and her back arches upwards from the pillow when she finally cums. Her following cry is muffled yet again by his lips.

"Shh...hush, Mika." he whispers, and she pants heavily while he gently kisses her fluttering eyelids. She reaches her hands up to grasp the nape of his neck while he thumbs her porcelain cheek. She can feel him smile against her skin and she opens her eyes just enough to see him clearly. "Hey." he says, and he flashes her this proud, dopey grin that has her pursing her lips in a smile.

"I only finished once last time..." she says, her hand moves back to her forehead and she chuckles, "I didn't even know I _could_ do it twice."

He laughs and kisses her nose, "Hmm...think you can do it thrice?" he challenges.

Her face hardens and she looks at him with determined eyes. "Can I?" she says, she sits up and pushes him up as well. Her hands go to her shirt and she tugs it away rather forcefully, then her bra is next. He removes his own shirt while he watches, joining her in her nudity. She makes sure he is looking at her while she shuffles back on the bed and props herself up on her elbows. Her legs spread to either side and she raises her brow at him in wait. "Come on." she prods, "Do your worst." she adds with a light chuckle.

He smirks and covers her in an instant, his movement makes her yelp as she loses her balance and falls completely flat on the mattress. His hands hoist her hips onto his knees and he slides into her with one, solid thrust. She gasps and her hands fumble to grip onto the sheets as he immediately begins to move within the next few moments. He grunts with each thrust, and the sound is music to her ears, just as her own gasps and moans are music to his. It's a sharp contrast from her first time, where the pleasurable friction was laced with underlying pain. Now it's only pleasure. Pure, unadulterated pleasure that washes over her body in rough, roiling waves.

She definitely likes it like this, _most definitel_ y. With him thrusting hard and panting as sweat drips off of his chiseled body. Her limited experience may be the only reason this is her new favorite way to make love, but she sure as hell doesn't care. Her thoughts are cut short, as her nerves are already overstimulated and she couldn't last long even if she tried. So she brings the sheets to her mouth to muffle her cry when her muscles contract and she's riding a third high for the night. She goes limp, but he's still thrusting, drawing out her climax and pushing himself closer to joining her.

He seems over-focused when she looks down to observe his sweaty face. His brow is furrowed and his eyes shut tightly in concentration, his mouth moving lightly with each pant and grunt he gives. She smiles when she realizes he's trying to hold himself off, trying to go as long as he can. But he doesn't need to, at least, _she_ doesn't think he does anyway, she already came after all. "Eren." she says, and his eyes shakily open to meet hers, as if he has trouble moving them, "Just let go, it's fine." she assures, and he gasps as he hilts in her for the last time.

His forehead rests on her abdomen as he releases, and she hums in pleasure over the feeling of warmth it gives her. They lapse into a comfortable silence after that, only the sound of their heavy breathing and the subtle splatter of his sweat meeting her skin to mingle with her own. His arms quiver with the effort of holding himself up when he shifts to hover over her. She grunts when he lays atop her and relaxes, sighing deeply.

Her hand instinctively moves to thread through his hair, and she feels his lips turn upward against her breast in a smile. There really isn't much need to speak, so they simply bask in the quiet of the room. They never lit a lamp, so the only light is from what little moonlight can filter through the curtains. She twirls a lock of his sweat-dampened hair in her fingers and observes how the dim light shimmers against the thick strands.

He shifts, and she realizes they've been laying together so long she can barely feel her body from how comfortable she has gotten. He meets her eyes and smiles, his eyes blinking tiredly. "I did better that time." he says.

She chuckles, "Is that what you were _trying_ to do the whole time? Last longer?" she teases.

He scoffs, "No." he leans up to peck her nose again and groans as he gets up. "Oh man, my back is gonna hurt like hell tomorrow..." he mutters, and she sniggers, "Well it did _last time_." he defends, moving to fetch a clean pair of pants.

"Well my _ass_ 'hurt like hell' after the first time, I just hope it isn't the same this time." she says as she sits up, stretching her arms above her head. She cracks an eye open while she stretches and watches him admire her. "What?"

He blinks, "Nothing, you're just...beautiful." he murmurs, cheeks flushing as he scratches the back of his neck.

She smiles bashfully and hugs herself at the warm, fuzzy feeling that emanates from her heart at those words. And he hands her his shirt, thinking she's cold. She takes it even though she doesn't need it and slips it on, gently grasping his hand afterwards. She pulls him close so she can wrap her arms around his waist from where she sits and nuzzle her nose into his bare abdomen.

His hands move to her hair and caress the damp locks tenderly. "I love you." she murmurs, pressing a kiss to the toned muscle beside her lips. His skin ripples in a shudder and she smiles, releasing him to bury herself in the covers of his bed.

He follows her and pulls her to him so he can kiss her so, _so gently_ , she barely feels it. "I love you too." he whispers against her soft lips and she smiles again, opening her eyes when they begin to sting with tears. His gorgeous teal pools soften, and he gives her another kiss, wiping the only tear to break the threshold of her eyelids away with his thumb.

"I'm sorry-" she sniffles, "-I'm just happy."

He pulls her closer, "I know you are."

One last kiss to her temple, and she relaxes completely in his arms. She feels her small outburst of emotion is justified, after all, she didn't have much time to be emotional over her intimacy with Eren. Everything was so new and overwhelming, it was as if she did have room for anything other than tired contentment. Now she knows what it's like to be intimate, and the reality of his relationship with her just keeps hitting her again and again. She doesn't mind, it reminds her of just how lucky she is to have him.

He stays awake only long enough to hear her breath even out as she succumbs to sleep. "I'm happy too." he whispers. It's surely the first time in a while, but he is truly happy. At that he closes his eyes and let's himself join her in a peaceful, restful sleep.

•

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 **I always end these things with them falling asleep don't I? God, I tried not to do smut but my brain is all:**

 ** _"Dooooo eeehhhttt! Doooooooooooooooo eeeeeiiiiihhhttt!"_**

 **Anywho, to be continued with my next update! Can't wait to write more of this universe.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Goodness, this one is a monster! Lol, 7K words without the author notes. Good grief! And to think I was going to put all five days of her period into one chapter! Lol.**

 **Yeah, that's right, Mikasa's period, it's here, and Eren is one clueless idiot about that kind of thing.**

 **I decided to just do each day of her cycle, five days, this chapter has two. And the first day is so awkward lol! The second day...err...okay I** ** _tried_** **, I really did, okay? But I made a lemon...sowyy, but I did. I can't believe how hard it is not to make it smutty, dear Lord.**

 **Any who, enjoy, and, yeah that might make some people uncomfortable, just a heads up.**

•

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 **Day: 1**

The first thing he notices when he wakes is that the bed is empty. That in itself is strange, as Mikasa has been slipping into his bed every night that she isn't already there since her confession. She might as well move into his room at this point. He sits up and purses his lips in thought, he knows she didn't forget, so where is she? He swings his legs over the edge of the bed and stands, and he walks to the door to peer out before he makes his way to the girl's shared room.

He opens the door and sees that Hanji isn't there, and Sasha is still snoring loudly, deeply asleep. At least _that's_ normal. He looks at Mikasa's bed at the far end of the room and frowns, he can see her raven locks on the pillow from here. He silently approaches her sleeping form and kneels beside the bed, observing her face. Her limbs are haphazardly spread and her lips are parted most adorably, her cheek squished lightly against her loosely curled hand.

He smiles, she looks very comfortable, but he also acknowledges that she doesn't usually sleep like that. At least not when she's with him, she's most often curled up, knees pulled close to get chest and her hands wrapped around either an extra pillow she brings with her or his arm. He also notices that she looks sweaty, her hair plastered on her flushed forehead, and he sees her cheeks are flushed with a rosy pink as well.

His brow furrows in concern and he presses the back of his palm to her forehead. She stirs at the touch and smacks her lips, eyelids fluttering just barely. He gives a light chuckle and pulls his hand back, she is warm, but she doesn't have a fever. "Mika?" he whispers, he gently shakes her by her shoulder and then runs the same hand up and down her arm to rouse her.

She hums as she wakes, her legs kicking out as she stretches and sighs. She opens her eyes and looks at him blankly, taking a moment to register that he's standing there, and that she's still in the girl's room. "Eren?!" she sits up with a gasp, "What are you doing in here?"

"I kind of wanted to know why _you_ were here." he says cheekily with a teasing smile.

At that she can't seem to reply, and she looks down at her hands, twiddling her slender fingers. "I didn't wake up." she says in explanation.

"I know that." he chuckles, "Why not?" he moves to sit on the bed next to her. "Not that I'm complaining, I'm just concerned. You kind of have a schedule, and it's weird to see you break it." he adds to assure her he's not upset or anything of the like. She tends to assume in that regard. She purses her lips in thought, and then her eyes widen, and she looks around his head at something on the wall. He follows her gaze only a second too late, and he doesn't know what she was looking at. She tosses the blankets back and rushes out the door, "Hey! Mikasa?"

She runs into the washroom across the hall and shuts the door in his face before he can enter, "One second, Eren." she calls, and he glances around in confusion. She's acted distant like this before, come to think of it, but he supposes he's always been too distracted to really care. Now that she's constantly with him, constantly on his brain, he realizes that he's going to notice a lot more about her that he never knew before. Things he never bothered to acknowledge. And he knows he'll have to study her, learn her intricate nuances and what makes her happy, sad, angry, or frustrated. For her it's not like that. She's already studied him and learned everything she possibly can about him, since he has always been on her mind.

She has a somewhat unfair advantage in that department, he deduces in amusement. He leans against the wall and waits for a full five minutes before she finally exits the washroom, fiddling with her hands. "Okay. I'm good now."

"What was that about?" he prods, and he's really, genuinely concerned.

"Hmm?" she looks at him as if she's only hearing him just now, "Oh, I'm sorry, that must have looked weird, I just didn't want to get my sheets dirty again." she gives an embarrassed smile and rubs her forehead, "It's just my cycle, it started sometime last night while I was sleeping." she says, as if he's supposed to know exactly what she means.

He pauses, searching his brain for any trace of definition for the word _'cycle'_ that he isn't aware of. He's not exactly happy to realize he has no idea what she's talking about. "What's a cycle?" he asks.

She pauses in her bed-making, blinking a couple times before she looks at him. "Eren, do you...do you really not know?" she bites her lip in an attempt to hold back her amused smile.

He turns red and scratches the back of his head, well now he's embarrassed, she acts like it's common knowledge. "No." he murmurs.

She chuckles lightly at that, her own cheeks flushing in embarrassment over having to explain this to him. "This is why I told you to take that class in the academy. You would have learned a lot from it." she says as she finishes straightening her sheets.

He knows immediately exactly which one she's talking about. It was entirely optional, and it didn't affect their grade, so he didn't really see the need to take it. But the academy offered a physical education class, what with all the hormonal teenagers and all. One that Mikasa took and aced, of course. He supposes it was a stupid decision not to take it, he had plenty of time, but he was never really interested in anything to do with it during his trainee years.

"Well-" she begins as she takes his hand, "-do you want me to explain? Or should I get a book? A book would be less embarrassing..." she adds, as if for herself instead of him.

"I'd prefer you explain. But if you don't want to, I'll read a book." he shrugs.

She bites her lip, "I know! Why don't we have Hanji explain? She'll do it better than me." she says and begins to drag him towards the Squad Leader's lab.

"Wha..?" he asks in confusion, "N-no, not Hanji! You've never heard her lectures before!" he complains. "And then - because I'm a shifter and all - she'll probably stick her nose into our personal affairs, Mikasa!"

She comes to a stop when she's barely inside the door of the woman's office, she looks at him and considers his words. He sighs in relief when he sees agreement in her eyes, "I suppose you're right, besides-" she glances at the floor of the lab, "-I think Hanji is probably busy anyways." she implies.

He looks at the floor as she pulls him away and spots clothes laying haphazardly on the stone slabs. "What the fuck?" he murmurs as he follows her down the hall, realizing the implications she was alluding to.

She leads him into his room and shuts the door quietly so as not to wake anybody. "Training begins in a couple hours-" she says to herself, "-breakfast in one hour." she sits down on the single chair in his room and motions for him to sit on his bed. Time passes, maybe five minutes, before she's composed herself enough to speak. "So..." she begins, her cheeks warm and she bites her lip in wonder over how she'll explain this.

"So?" he adds in a drawl, smirking a bit at her sudden hesitance.

She smiles and tucks a stray hair behind her ear, in that moment she becomes distracted and realizes neither of them are ready for the day. They both have disheveled hair and are still in their loose pajamas. She can see his tantalizing silhouette because of the light of the rising sun. She puts it in the back of her mind though, she has to focus on explaining. "Well, for starters, I think you should have gone to that class." she admonishes, and he rolls his eyes. "I learned a lot about how my own body works, as well as how boys work. Hence, I could have been far less ready for our intimacy, you know."

He smirks, and she continues on, "Basically, I'm different because I've got a uterus-"

"Well, I know you're different physically, I'm not _that_ dim-witted." he scoffs with a chuckle.

"No, no, I mean inside, about, maybe...right here." she corrects and points at her abdomen, tapping the clothed skin.

He frowns, "You mean your organs, right?"

"Yeah, it's tiny, at least that's what they said. But the teacher said it lines with blood, and then once a month, it cleans the old blood out, and refreshes itself basically." she explains.

"Ahh." he nods, "Wait..." he purses his lips, "Cleans itself? How?"

She waved her hands around her lower regions and gestures, "It just, flushes out. It's called a menstrual cycle."

"Out of where? You mean you're bleeding right now?" his eyes flash with concern, blanketed by confusion.

"Well yeah, but it's not dangerous bleeding, or anything. It comes out of, my...you know." she waves her hand around again, as if he's supposed to pick up on her drift. He looks towards the indicated area, purses his lips, then looks back at her, "Eren." she waves more vigorously, as if it will help him out in some way. He just raises a brow at her, "Oh fuck it!" she sighs in exasperation, "My vagina, it come out of my vagina! God!" she covers her face in embarrassment and shakes her head.

"Ahh." he leans back and bites his lip, "And what's that?"

"Oh my God, Eren!" she growls, and he flinches when he realizes she's getting frustrated with him. " _Where_ do you put your dick?" she asks pointedly, and he blinks before he gapes in sudden clarity.

"Oh... _oh!"_ he says, "Sorry, I didn't know the technical term, it's not as if anyone in my barracks talked in specifics." he rubs the back of his head bashfully.

"I'm so embarrassed!" she squeaks, hiding behind her hands and hair.

She stubbornly faces away when she feels him sit next to her, "So...what else?" he asks, "Does it hurt? Or is it similar to when you get a bruise and you don't realize it until like two days later?"

She removes her hands from her flushed face and shrugs, "It depends. Sometimes it hurts just a little, other times I don't even know it's happening, and yet other times I feel like my insides are being...I don't know, squeezed and burned? It's awful when I get them that bad." she cringes at the memory of her few bad cycles, which remain quite vivid, despite their age.

He looks thoughtful, and considers her for a moment before speaking, "So, does it hurt _now?_ "

She purses her lips and waits for a moment, as their talking has distracted her from any pain she might have been feeling. There is a small, barely noticeable pulse of that familiar, fiery ache in her abdomen. "It's not bad. At least not this time." she tilts her head to look at him with an assuring smile, "I feel rather good to be honest."

He smiles back, "That's good. But, do you get a break from training? I would think you should, right?"

She hums a slight chuckle, "Only if it's especially bad I'll ask for a break. And, if I think about it, exercise actually _helps_ sometimes. Besides, if all the girls needed breaks for every cycle, I think you would hardly have any of us around." she adds, "We can't really dictate when it starts."

He nods hesitantly, "Yeah I suppose you're right. It sounds really weird, to have to go through that." he presses a finger experimentally to her lower abdomen.

She shrugs, "I'm used to it."

"Thanks for explaining." he drapes an arm around her shoulder, "Gosh, I feel really stupid for not knowing." it's his turn to flush in embarrassment now.

"Well it's not as if anyone took the time to tell you. I think it might as well have been me." she takes this moment to give him a warm side-hug, and nuzzles her cheek into his chest.

He smiles and gently strokes her arm, "Yeah. Hey, breakfast should be ready in maybe half an hour. Want to take a walk?" he asks.

She nods, "Yeah, I'd like that."

•

•

She looks miserable, he notices. Today was rough, he remembers seeing her panting and sweating profusely earlier. Granted, she was gorgeous with that sheen of shimmering sweat covering every bare expanse of skin. But he knew she probably wasn't feeling good, and that curbed any indecent thoughts about her blatant attractiveness.

Her eyes are droopy, and her body looks tired. Her muscles sag and he sees her effort to keep a light grimace from her face. She's probably ' _cramping_ ', as she called it, he concludes in his varied thoughts. He notices that she seems slightly disgusted over her food, and that she puts her spoon down with an agitated sigh.

He scoots closer and pats her knee under the table, catching her attention, "Hmm?" she hums as she leans into his shoulder.

"Tired?" he asks, he slips his arm around her waist and thumbs her clothed hip soothingly.

"A little." she closes her eyes and her head rests on his chest. He huffs a light laugh through his nose, she's so unbelievable cute right now. With her raven locks pooling against his shirt, her long lashes crown her cheeks and her lips part in calm, gentle breaths.

"Want to go to bed?" he lowers his head to the side to better see her face. Her lidded eyes open lazily and she nods, giving no audible answer besides her body language. Not that she needs to, he can tell she wants nothing more than to climb into a bed and succumb to a long, peaceful sleep. "Okay." he says as he stands and coaxes her to her feet, lacing his fingers between hers. She walks beside him while he leads the way to his room, her free hand curls around his arm and she leans her head into his shoulder yet again.

"Stop by the washroom." she instructs, and he nods, he suspected she might want to go there anyways. She's made several trips throughout the day, and she explained earlier that she usually needs to change her linen. She also explained what those were. He thinks it's a hassle, and he wonders why girls need suffer through it. He can hardly imagine going through something similar, I mean really? Bleeding for nearly a week, once a month, through all her teenage years and then most of her adult life? He has to hand it to women, that sounds awful to him.

She leaves him at the door of the washroom and stays in there for a few minutes. And she quickly re-emerges and gives him a tired smile. "Okay, let's go." she murmurs, and he gladly leads her to his room.

He opens the door and sits her down on the bed, closing it behind him as he moves to fetch some of her pajamas she ' _left_ ' in his room. She only trades her pants for the pajama shorts, though, and rummages through his own clothes for one of _his_ shirts. He smirks as she carelessly throws her current shirt to the floor and pulls her bra off (facing away despite the fact that he's seen it before), slipping into his loose, too-big shirt with a contented sigh.

She goes and flips his covers away before she snuggles onto the mattress and hugs the pillow she's laying on. He changes into his pajamas and joins her, his arm wraps around her waist to pull her close and spoon her lean figure comfortably. She entwines her legs with his and he smiles, sometimes _this_ can be better than those few nights they've given into their more primal sides and made love. Despite how wonderful that can be, he honestly adores this just as much, maybe even more. He presses a simple, tender, good night kiss to her shoulder, and he sees her tired smile out of the corner of his eye.

Yes indeed, he loves having her here, just to simply be _there_. He loves the unique, nameless scent her hair always has, there's maybe a faint hint of some unknown flower there too. He loves the feel of her warm, velvety skin under his palm, which rests on her waist, just under the shirt she stole from him. And he loves the feeling of having someone beside him, someone to hold onto and be there to chase away memories or nightmares (something she has graciously done in the past).

To put it down into words, it's quite simple to say, and he has already said it so many times to her, even if it's only been two weeks: "I love _you_." he murmurs, his forehead pressing lightly into the back of her neck, and her hair flutters as his breath ghosts over the back of her neck.

•

•

 **Day: 2**

She's late waking, and he has to rouse her from her sleep (a job that is usually hers) yet again today. She grumbles and stirs, opening her eyes. She's facing him, having tossed and turned during the night, and he chuckles as she pulls her limbs from their entangled positions. She snuggles into his chest and grips at his shirt, "Don't _wanna_ get up..." she mumbles into the fabric, and he laughs.

"But you _gotta_." he teases, his fingers sweeping hair out of her face as he kisses the porcelain skin of her forehead. "Mika. Gotta get up, Mika." he starts tapping her shoulder.

She growls, rolls to face away from him, crosses her arms, and huffs with a light, defiant whine. "Nickname." she warns, and he nuzzles his nose into her neck, smiling mischievously.

"Well, _I_ like it." he says, hugging her stiff, stubborn body to his chest as he sits up.

"Hey!" she protests, and she struggles agains his grip until he's holding her like a child in his lap.

"What?" he asks as he wriggles his fingers against her sensitive sides.

"Ahh! _Ah!_ " she yelps, she laughs against her will and pushes his hands away feebly, "E-Eren! Eren stop! I'll pee!" she warns. He pulls away and moves one hand to her nose, he taps his finger once on it and smiles at her disgruntled expression. "I hate tickling, _don't_ tickle me." she grumbles.

He chuckles as she crosses her arms and curls into his chest, "But you have such a nice laugh." he leans down to kiss her forehead, lingering afterwards and pressing his own forehead against it.

"Then make me laugh in some...different way." she says, her voice quiets as she leans into his touch. He closes his eyes and strokes her soft cheek, leaning in to gently kiss her pouty lips. She makes a funny noise, somewhere between a grumble and an appreciative sound.

Her hand fists in his shirt again, and he pulls back quite quickly, "You know, I think you've laughed more in these past couple weeks than you have since I met you." he says, still stroking her cheek, she smiles mirthlessly and covers his hand with her own.

"I didn't have much reason to be happy, let alone laugh." she murmurs.

He nods, "I suppose it was the same for me, huh?" he sighs as he remembers.

She shrugs, "Yes. But like I just said, _we_ really never had much cause to be happy." she entwines her fingers with his hand and presses her lips to the back of it. "I have a reason now." she adds, her warm breath caresses his tawny skin, and he looks down at her with a small smile.

"Me too." he tightens his fingers around her hand and holds it to his chest, observing her expression. She blinks up at him through those luscious lashes and he feels like he's melting inside. Her hand gently extricates itself from his hold and her fingers promptly slide across his cheek. He leans into the touch and sighs, smiling just barely. Her pointer finger runs across his lips and he raises as a brow, it feels nice, come to think of it. "What are you doing?" he mumbles against her finger, which nearly tickles as it lightly runs back and forth. He kisses it just for fun.

Her expression is soft, contemplating, as she sits up in his lap to be at eye level with him. "I just wonder what you'd look like..." she says, and he tilts his head in curiosity.

"Look like-?" he prods.

"With a...beard." she explains hesitantly, and he recoils with a laugh.

" _That's_ what you were thinking about?" he chuckles, and she smiles as she thinks about it more.

"It just crossed my mind." she shrugs.

"I guess we won't know for a while, 'cause Armin's lack of facial hair is contagious." he pretends to be sad, pursing his bottom lip and sniffling obnoxiously.

She bursts into a beautiful laughing fit, and he grins in satisfaction, he's found another way to make her laugh, he supposes. But her laughter promptly stops and those thin brows knit together, "Wait...but, you have hair down h-"

"Ah-d-da-da...no-no!" he stops her hand from reaching its southern destination and chuckles, "I don't think it's the same thing, Mika." he leans forward to peck her nose, and she scrunches it up in distaste at the nickname. "So, you hungry?" he asks.

She inhales deeply and nods, "Yeah, yeah I am."

She pulls herself out of his lap and stretches her arms above her head, then behind her back. He watches through his lashes, studying the slight rise of his shirt draping her body. The silhouetted shadow of her perked breasts makes him bite his lip, the rising sun crowns her in a glowing aura, and her blissful expression really hits the nail on the head. He gets out of bed and wraps his arms around her waist from behind, his chin rests on her shoulder, and he breathes in her scent.

"Eren..." she scolds lightly, but she leans most welcomingly into his touch, her hands resting atop his while his thumbs draw lazy circles on her stomach.

"I think-" he begins, one hand moves to sneak under the baggy shirt and caress her stomach, "-I think I might need to kiss you." he murmurs, lips moving to her shoulder, where his too-big shirt hangs off haphazardly. He presses tender kisses to the bare skin there, moving to the base of her scarf-swathed neck, where he lingers and tries to meet her eyes for approval.

"You already did." she smirks, "And you already are, as a matter of fact." her breath hitches at that predatory look in his eyes, the brilliant blue-green of his fiery eyes darkening tantalizingly.

He shakes his head, lips brush back and forth against her jawline while he gently turns her to face him. "Not like _this_." he says, cupping her face in his hands and capturing her sleep-swollen, rosy lips in his own. She smiles into it and snakes her hands around his neck, fingers threading in his hair as his own arms support her back. She giggles into his mouth when he dips her and prods his tongue into her own mouth. She also greatly appreciates the low rumble she hears in his chest as he explores her mouth most thoroughly.

 _'If it wasn't nearly time for breakfast...'_ she thinks, she is certain this would escalate rather quickly. Though there is the matter of her messy cycle, perhaps a shower would fix that...' _Mmm, a shower with Eren...'_ at that thought she feels a little feverish.

He pulls back just barely and nips at her now-swollen bottom lip, admiring the attractive flush her cheeks have blossomed with. "There-" he says with a smirk, "- _now_ I've kissed you properly." he helps her stand straight again and she brushes her disheveled hair back with a shy laugh. "And now we can go to breakfast." he hands her-her more appropriate clothing so they can get dressed.

"You're gonna pay later for getting me riled up." she says as she tugs the shirt over her head, caring not for her nudity while she fixes her bra back around her chest.

His lips quirk upwards in a triumphant smirk, "I'm looking forward to it."

•

•

She wipes at her forehead after she exits the washroom for the fifth time that afternoon. Training is tough, especially on one's menstrual cycle, but her cramps _are_ less noticeable because of the rigorous, jarring exercise of maneuvering the 3DMG. She swipes her sweaty locks from her face and makes her way back outside the female's quarters. Luckily it's time for lunch, and she can go relax for a little while before she has to train yet again until dinner. Granted they'll be riding horses for the majority of that period. A fact she is grateful for, as it is far less effort than the 3DMG.

She is about to enter the mess hall when someone grabs her by the waist from behind. She yelps in surprise as she is pulled into an alcove, but she quiets when she recognizes those mischievous, gorgeous teal eyes. "Eren! Don't scare me!" she hisses, "I might have punched you."

He chuckles huskily, the low, rumbling sound makes her hair raise and her spine tingle. "I think I could take it." he murmurs, and she has no chance to respond, as his lips are on hers in the next second. She gasps and he takes that opportunity to let his tongue delve into her mouth, starting a small battle with her for dominance. She shivers again as his hands clamp around her wrists and her traps her against the wall.

Her leg hikes up instinctively, and he rolls his hips only just barely, as he knows they can't take this too far right now. But God, after her promise of paying him back this morning he's been pining for her touch, practically _aching_ for some sort of satisfaction. She moans as he pins her hands above her head and his free hand roams to her thigh, caressing lightly. He pulls back with a gasp and moves to her neck, burying his face in her scarf and finding her soft skin so he can suckle there.

"Ahh.." he gasps when she rolls her hips against him, and he lets go of her hands to plant his own against the wall. He has to stop now, otherwise he won't be able to, "S-sorry, Mika, I really needed that." he says, and she smiles, his eyes peer down to appreciate her heaving chest beneath that thin shirt.

"I kind of needed it too." she pants, recapturing his attention, and she pulls her leg back down from around his waist. "Tonight, tonight we can finish this." she gives him yet another promise, and he grins, kissing her once more on the lips, tenderly and slowly.

"Oi! Get a room guys." he yelps at the intruding voice and jumps away from her as if she were suddenly on fire. She presses a hand to her chest as they both turn to stare at Armin with wide, terrified eyes.

"What the fuck, Armin?!" Eren gasps, wiping at his forehead.

"You should see your faces." Armin smirks, placing a hand on his hip, "Mikasa, you need to fix your hair before you go in there, you've quite obviously been in a make-out session." he advises.

Mikasa blushes and combs her hair with her fingers, "Sorry you had to see that, Armin."

"Eh, I'm more pleased than disturbed. I mean damn! _Finally_ , eh? You blockhead." Armin says to Eren, who turns red and scowls.

"I think he gets it, Armin." Mikasa chuckles, "Not that I needed to admonish him that much." she adds as she approaches the blushing boy and kisses him shamelessly one last time, "I'm going to go eat lunch."

Eren gives a goofy, pleased smile as she walks away.

"Gosh, you are like crazy lovebirds now." Armin chuckles as he moves to follow his raven-haired friend.

•

•

She yanks him away from the mess hall after dinner later, her stride is determined and unyielding as he asks where she's going. Though he has a pretty good idea, he's still a little surprised when she pulls him into the washroom and silences his questions with kisses, smiling as she bends to turn the water on. She looks back at him over her shoulder and tucks her hair behind her ear, reveling in the widening of his eyes and the shadows of desire creeping into his turquoise irises. She straightens and begins to pull her 3DMG straps away, depositing them in a corner to be forgotten for an hour or so.

He follows her lead, and she has her hands on him as soon as he tugs his shirt from his body. Her hand threads into his unruly locks and she tugs him down for a sloppy, desperate kiss. Her own eagerness has her stumbling backwards and she ends up pressed against the wall yet again. His hands are kneading roughly into her ass, and she gasps into his mouth as she is lifted to perch on his waist. Her own hands move to his chest and trail random, sporadic patterns in her desperation to feel him.

He lets out a mix between a laugh and a moan while she traces his defined abs. And she giggles as he breaks the kiss to stop her hands, "Sorry, that tickles." he admits with a smile. She simply moves her hands to his neck and caresses him there instead, and she presses hot, open-mouthed kisses to the apex of his jaw, trailing down his neck. "The s-shower... _getting cold_..." he mumbles, leaning heavily on the wall to support himself while she practically burns his skin with every touch.

She slows in her searing advance and nods against his skin. He huffs heavily as she extricates herself from his body and proceeds to remove her clothing entirely. He blinks when he sees the bloody, linen pad she had explained to him, but it's snatched away from his sight as soon as it's visible. She tucks it away and turns back to him, her gaze is averted as her finger slips between the hem of his pants, and he takes them off just as shamelessly as she did. Afterwards he follows her into the threshold of the shower and gently turns her chin to face him. "That's why we're showering, huh?" he asks, "Because of your cycle?"

She frowns, she had hoped they wouldn't need to bring it up, "Yeah." she rubs her arm self-consciously, "It's messy, so we gotta do it here, and...I know it's dirty and you might not want to..." she adds, "But I really, _really_ need it."

He smiles, "I don't mind." he says. In honesty, he had managed to find a medical book, and increased libido was on the list of menstrual symptoms. So he isn't surprised to have her asking him to do this, but a shower is a little cumbersome. Making this work will be difficult. "Let's get washed first." he says, attempting to lather soap from a bar.

She takes it from his hands and shakes her head, "No, after. We'll only get dirty anyways." she says, placing the soap down before her hands are in his hair again and she's tugging him down for a kiss. They stumble slightly, as the floors are slippery, and they both break apart to laugh nervously. She tugs him down and he's somewhat confused when she gets on her knees and turns to lean against the tub wall.

It's a rather erotic sight, there's no denying that. What with the temperature of the water, steam billows around her body, and tiny beads of water coalesce together to roll down her back in slow, tantalizing trails. When she looks over her shoulder at him it takes every ounce of willpower he has not to start then and there. But he wants to be careful, slow even, for one: this position is new. And two: she's in a delicate state right now, emotionally and physically.

He starts by gently gripping her hips and lowering his face to her shoulder-blades, giving the wet skin there open-mouthed kisses. Her arms shake against the wall she leans on, and she lets out a low moan when his tongue decides to join in the fray, following a trail of water back up her toned spine. He feels light headed after hearing it, and his hands venture from their places. One trails up her torso and grasps her breast, she begins to pant at that. The other reaches around her waist and dips into her, she acts as though he's driven himself into her already. Her head is thrown back and her knuckles turn white as she grips the wall.

He slowly pumps his fingers in and out of her, and her mewling cries get a little too loud, too quickly. "Shh...Mika, shush." he pulls his hand from her breast to turn her face and capture her lips. She squeezes her fluttering eyes shut and lets out a particularly loud cry when he strokes that swollen bundle of nerves with his palm and curls his fingers inside her. Her noise is partially muffled by his kiss, but if anyone were outside their door at that moment, there is no doubt they'd know exactly what's going on inside.

Despite the fact that she's already close, she grabs his still-moving hand with her own shaking one and pulls back from the kiss. "Eren...don't bother with foreplay, _please just take me..._ right now." she practically whines as she pushes her hips back against his arousal, to which he hisses and gasps.

Well, he can't say no to that face, gosh, and he thought she couldn't possibly be more attractive! Her eyes are lidded and her dark lashes are wet, accentuated by the steaming water, as well as her hair, which drapes over her face and across her neck almost sensually. Her lips are swollen and parted in her needy panting, and her cheeks are flushed a beautiful rosy color that spreads to her shoulders.

He wastes absolutely no time in aligning himself and slipping into her, a task that is a little too easy, as she's very, _very_ slippery. She moans these intoxicating, otherworldly noises as he fills her, and he thinks he's already lost his stamina at the sound of them. She shudders under him when he hilts, and he places his hands beside hers on the wall to steady himself. Because by God, he's having trouble staying upright too. "Eren... _move...?_ " she asks in a whimper, shifting her hips.

Oh fuck it! His original plan of being slow and gentle just flew out the window. He latches onto her shoulder and even bites the skin there just enough to leave the slightest marks. She gasps as he pulls out and thrusts roughly, a groan rumbles in the back of his throat, and he moves to suckle at her neck. She pivots her own hips to meet him just as hard as he thrusts, and he can't help but let out pleasured gasps of his own.

She pants, his arms shake as he moves. And when she moans and breathes a little " _Ahh!_ " out with each thrust it drives him wild. She reaches a hand up to hold onto him, wrapping her fingers tightly onto his neck. He takes that chance to capture her lips again, and she almost sounds like she could even be crying, the sounds she's making. They aren't even really kissing anymore, their lips just touch while they both pant. His restrained grunts and her soft moans mix with the sound of the water hitting his back echo in the washroom.

She stiffens beneath him and her breath hitches, " _Eren..._ " his name is like a prayer on her lips as she comes undone. Her body arches upwards briefly and he lets out a ragged breath when he feels her inner walls tighten and pulsate around him. He has to shift his body weight to one shaking arm, while the other curls around her torso to keep her from collapsing. For once he's somewhat glad he has little stamina, and he buries his face in her neck to muffle his loud moan as he follows her.

She gasps when she feels him release, and a contented smile graces her face. Her limbs don't feel like jelly anymore, so she places her arms back on the wall, leaning heavily on it while they catch their breaths. She listens to the sound of the water pattering against his tawny back, his ragged breath in her ear, sees his arms shaking with the effort it takes to hold himself up. It makes her so happy, seeing and hearing these things, and she shudders as he finally starts moving again. His heavy panting becomes louder as he nears the shell of her ear, and her smile widens as he lightly kisses there.

Her shaky hand comes back up to cup his cheek, and he turns his head to kiss her palm as well. She doesn't like how empty she feels when he slips out, but it's all he can manage for now, she can't blame him for that. "You okay?" he asks, finally moving from his place above her back to stand on his feet shakily.

She accepts his hand up, stumbling on her weakened legs, and he pulls her into a hug. She smiles as she nuzzles into his chest, her finger tracing invisible patterns there, "Yeah, more than okay." she kisses the nearest skin she can find, and he gently strokes the small of her back.

She immediately starts to grow heavier in his arms, her eyelids flutter shut, and her breath evens out, "Hey-" he murmurs, "-don't fall asleep on me, let's clean up first, then you can go to bed." he chuckles when she pulls back and rubs at her eyes tiredly. She lets him clean her and himself, apologizing for being so tired, but he waves her off. He knows she can't help it. And besides, he's never done it before, cleaning her, he rather likes it.

•

•

She yawns when he sits her down on the bed, dressed in only her shorts. Her onyx eyes follow him around the room, and she admires him while he gets some pants on. He then pulls another one of his shirts out for her to use, slipping it over her head and coaxing her arms into the holes. She smiles at him when he lifts her chin so he can give a soft, chaste kiss, stroking her cheek afterwards. "Let's get some sleep, Mikasa." he says, pulling the covers back as he crawls onto his bed.

She towels her hair off one last time before she joins him, her face buries in his still-bare chest and she wraps her arm around his torso. He returns the gesture and his fingers move to thread through her damp hair. "Oi." he says to get her attention, and she looks up at him lazily.

"Hmm?"

"I love you." he says. Even though he knows he doesn't need to say it, he wants to. He wants her to hear those words as often as he can say them. Seeing her face brighten, her eye start to twinkle with love, it makes him feel warm inside. They can only have so much time together like this, he wants what could be their last few weeks together to be something she can always remember. Always look back on with a smile.

"I know." she says, her face soft and glowing in the dim moonlight, "I love you too. So, _so much._ " she murmurs, and he kisses her once more before he lets her fall asleep. He doesn't want this to end, he sincerely hopes they can make it back from Shiganshina alive. If either one of them didn't...

He shakes his head, he can't think like that, he needs to focus on the here and now, enjoy her during his every waking moment. Make sure he cherishes her as if she were the only person in the world. She needs to feel loved entirely, and he doesn't need to burden her with his own worries. He pulls her sleeping body closer, and he frowns, he doesn't want to lose her now that he's got her. And although he's not religious, he wants to pray that they will always make it back, always be like this. And he hopes there is a deity listening when he asks this in his head.

•

•

 **A.N.**

 **Man, it's like this thing only exists to be fluffy fulfill my Eremika smut needs XD. (Which it does)**

 **I wanted to say that it's only so lighthearted because, like Eren is thinking at the end, they may not have much time together, and they want to kind of forget about those troubles while they can.**

 **Oh, and the last chapter was full of underlined words cause my iPad sucketh and it does that when I try to submit from there (weird I know).**


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh my gosh I am so sorry this took so long! Finding time coupled with art block does that to a writer I suppose. Along with my newest obsession, I'm not ashamed to say I am now a diehard Miraculous Ladybug fan lol. (It's cheesy but awesome, seriously go watch it...in French or Korean...don't do the English *shudders*) But I rewatched the first season to inspire myself and it worked like a charm. Speaking of seasons, season 2 is officially confirmed for the later half of 2016 (speculated to be June) so Glory Hallelujah! *tears of joy***

 **Anywho, continuing on with last chapter's theme, Mikasa's girly week and finishing that up, so the But I am pleasantly surprised that this chapter came out more Eren-centric. We're starting to get more serious now, delve into their relationship and start adding some tension, solve issues, more stuff like that. Granted they've already gone through a ton of horrid trials and tension in their relationship so I won't be a drama queen when it comes to that. (Dontcha hate it when authors do that?)**

 **Enjoy guys! And I decided I honestly can't keep criticizing myself for adding smut scenes, it's what most of you are here for right? Lol.**

 **(Edit: fixed the bold and italics)**

•

•

 **Day: 3**

She twists in place as she wakes, her eyes barely peel open, and she looks up at her sleeping partner with a contented sigh. It's still early, the sun hasn't risen, and he is fast asleep, the deep blue hue of the earliest dawn highlighting his features. She smiles, observing his parted lips, his luscious brown lashes, and how his delectable chest rises and falls with each steady breath.

Her hand, which is currently resting on the mattress, reaches up to allow her to swipe her thumb across his sleep-swollen lips. And she stifles a giggle when he smacks them together and shifts just slightly. He rolls onto his back and falls still yet again, and she shuffles closer so she can place her arms on his chest, prop her chin upon them, and gaze lovingly at him. She sometimes ponders what life would have been like for them, had all those unspeakable tragedies not occurred. She wonders if they would have grown to love each other still, and if they would have had a more tender, less agonized relationship over the past few years. Granted, she wouldn't change a thing about how they are now. But it doesn't hurt to wonder.

She feels him move, his arm comes up to drape across her back, and she knows he's partially awake. She lays her head down on his chest and palms the skin there. "Good morning." she murmurs, and she hears him hum in response.

"Too... _early_." he mumbles, and she smiles when he gathers her up in his arms and rolls back onto his side. She's trapped most comfortably in his grasp, but she doesn't mind one bit. His lips are gently pecking her shoulder, and he moves to entangle their fingers together. She pulls their joined hands to her face so she can press a kiss to the back of his calloused hand. And she hears him give a light chuckle as he nuzzles into her neck.

She doesn't really register that her eyes close, or that she falls asleep - along with him - for the next hour or so. It feels like she's blinked and the sun is suddenly up in the sky and rising steadily. She shifts and sits up, his loose arms falling from her waist as she moves. It's late, she needs to get up, and so does he. "Eren." she says, shaking him by his shoulder.

He mumbles in his sleep and stretches before he rolls to his opposite side and simply stays asleep. She sits back on her haunches and scoffs, "Five minutes." she tells his sleeping form, despite knowing he can't hear her. She stands and moves to dress, making a quick trip to the bathroom before her internal clock tells her to try again with Eren.

She stares at him with her hands on her hips, observing his parted, pouty, sleep-swollen lips. His hair is all over the place, it makes her want to thread her fingers in it and kiss him all over his gorgeous face. He really shouldn't be allowed to look so cute, it makes her hesitate, and _that_ makes her feel somewhat infuriated. She really doesn't want to wake him, but they are soldiers, and they have training to do, chores to finish. She bites her lip and shakes his shoulder again, persistently even when he rolls and tries to act like he's still asleep after he is clearly awake. "Eren!" she whines when he smiles. "I know you're awake, get up or we'll miss breakfast." she finally pulls away and turns around to cross her arms over her chest in wait. He won't get up until she ignores him.

Of course it works like a charm, she hears him shuffling, but she fights the urge to look over her shoulder with every ounce of her being. He's moving closer, she can tell without looking anyways. And she smirks in triumph when his arms lace around her waist and tug her back into his warm chest in a loose embrace. "What a rude awakening..." he whispers in that husky, sleepy voice she absolutely adores. She hears the teasing lilt in his voice and simply scoffs.

" _You_ were being stubborn." she plays along.

He hums and she rolls her eyes when he starts planting kisses on her clothed shoulder. He's about to say something else but there is a light knock at the door. He groans and releases her, moving to crack the door open. She sits on the bed while he converses rather quietly with whoever is outside. It sounds like Hanji, but it could be Armin, she doesn't know, so she'll simply wait until they are done talking.

He turns around and closes the door, peering at her sheepishly from under his bangs. She knows that look, he's going to do something she doesn't like. "I...um, Hanji needs to do another experiment, with my shifting." he mumbles.

Yea. Of course he does. She just hates how much of a toll shifting takes on his body. But, it's beneficial to humanity's survival, so she can't say no, or at the very least protest. "Okay." she says in a sigh. She's not going to make a fuss, it's not worth it because he'll just get angry and vent on her. She's learned from experience that she shouldn't contradict him in every dangerous situation, no matter how much she wants to protect him.

He sees how worried she is though, "Mikasa, I'll be fine. I'll take bigger breaks, that one time...I know I was overdoing it. And I promised I wouldn't overdo it anymore. So I _won't_ , okay?" he's moved close enough to cup her face in his hands, and she nods slowly, though her lip is pouty and her eyes downcast.

"I understand, Eren. Just be careful, I'll come watch after I'm done with my own duties." she says, returning the gesture by placing her own thin hands upon his cheeks. He smiles assuringly and kisses her long and soft, his thumb drawing a circle on her cheekbone.

"I will." is all he says before he moves to get dressed in something disposable. Granted he has gotten much better at not losing his clothing, but there's no harm in precautions. After all, he loses more control with each subsequent transformation, best be prepared in any case.

She watches him with a sad smile, she knows he's going to be rather out of it later, maybe even have a fever. So she can't help but feel melancholy watching him prepare. He gives her one last kiss before he leaves, and she makes him promise to eat between transformations and drink lots of water or else he'll answer to her. He laughs and tells her that he kind of looks forward to that, leaving the girl with warm cheeks and a wistful, hesitant smile on her face.

•

•

He gives a sharp gasp as he releases his transformation for the third time today. Hanji promised only once more after this, and he's rather glad of it. As he tugs his arm from the superheated flesh of his Titan body, he cringes as the familiar sensation of warm liquid trickling from his nose. He crawls from the neck and nearly collapses into sudden, strong arms that help him stand. "That was very good, Eren." Hanji's voice reaches his ears.

"You don't seem to be deteriorating in intelligence like that one time. It seems that - with proper training - you can hold it longer and your body can withstand more and more transformations." she says as she sits him down.

Eren lets out a heavy, ragged breath and gags slightly on the blood running unbidden down his throat when he turns his head up to alleviate his nosebleed. "Well, _withstand_ is a rather loose term." he can hear the cringe in Hanji's voice as she dumps cold water on a rag and drapes it over his forehead. "I'm sorry this is so hard for you, Eren. I wish I didn't need anymore data today." she apologizes and uses a cloth to wipe the blood from his nose.

He huffs and gives a light smile, "It's o-" he gasps and gives a cough, doubling over as he chokes, simply over his dry throat, accompanied by the bleeding, and a coughing fit overtakes him.

"Easy, _easy_ , Eren. Breathe." Hanji rubs circles on his back and hands him a cup of water.

He takes it gratefully, holding in his next few coughs as he gulps it down and gasps again when he's finished. His breath is still ragged, and he sees Hanji frown out of the corner of his eye. "It's okay..." he finishes his earlier sentence with a heave of breath.

"Not really." she mumbles, he looks very pale, and she ponders whether or not another transformation is a good idea. She needs the data, granted, but she also needs her shifter in good health. "Answer honestly." she says, "Do you think you can take another transformation in an hour?"

He doesn't really think, he just nods. He'd rather not postpone this transformation until another day and add a few more bedridden days to the schedule. "Yeah. I just need to eat and I'll be ready."

"Take the hour, Eren. Go relax for a bit first." Hanji orders, helping him to his shaky feet.

"Squad Leader." Eren jumps at the new voice, and he lets out a sigh at the familiar arms suddenly swaddling his waist. "I'll take him to lunch." Mikasa says with a nod of respect, and he puts as much weight on his own legs as he possibly can. Despite the fact that his limbs are screaming in stress. He hates being a burden like this. But he also doesn't want to seem whiny or ungrateful, so he still drapes his arm over her shoulders and let's her hold him close. Even so, she notices and frowns, "Eren, you're tripping, lean on me." she says.

He stubbornly holds back, "I'm fine."

She stops walking and closes her eyes, "Eren-" she begins, and he flinches at the tone of her voice, she doesn't sound very happy. In fact, he's never really acknowledged how scary she can sound when she's angry. Her speaking through gritted teeth and a forced calm demeanor is honestly a little terrifying. "-I'm not in the mood for your stubbornness. You need help. I don't give a damn about your pride or whatever has always made you act this way around me." she says with finality.

He blinks down at her, granted he's only just barely taller, but even so he feels a little small next to her glowering stare. He sighs and gives in, feeling relief swim through his muscles when he leans on her. "I'm sorry." he murmurs.

She begins walking and nods, "I'm used to it." she whispers, yet he hears her anyway.

' _Okay, ouch..._ ' he flinches yet again. She has a point, but it still hurts to hear her say that, to point out that he's never been very good in this regard. Trusting other people to care for him, her in particular. He still mentally kicks himself at night for being so mean and stubborn even as she's wrapped comfortably within his arms. He's feeling very guilty now, he keeps doing it, after all. Trying to push her away when all she's doing is helping. ' _I'm such a stubborn, selfish brat!_ ' he admonishes himself in his head. He knows he better make it up to her.

"Mikasa, _really_ , I'm sorry. I did it again." he sighs.

"Eren, it's fine, really I-"

"No, Mika. It's not. I need to curb my habits, they don't do me or you any good anyways." he interrupts, causing her to stop walking again, they are almost in the mess hall after all, there isn't much privacy there. "I _want_ to change, but it will take me a while. I don't want to hurt you anymore, and I just did. So I'm really, very sorry." he kisses her forehead to emphasize. "I can't promise I'll stop right away, old habits die hard, after all. But I'll do my best."

She feels silly, because he's really being very nice, but she's got tears shimmering in her eyes despite her smile. She's touched that he's changed so much already, the Eren she knows doesn't usually apologize. She chuckles in a hiccup when he wipes a stray tear from her cheek and kisses her there. "Thank you." she murmurs and hugs him, allowing him to lean his weight on her. He still needs her help after all.

"Are you hungry?" he asks.

"I should ask you the same." she says, that stern tone re-entering her voice as she pulls back to face him.

"Yes, _mum_." he smiles and chuckles when she gives him a playful swat on the shoulder.

•

•

He feels a little nervous with her watching, he knows she hates it when he transforms. Even when she concedes without a fight he can still feel her steely, scrutinizing gaze upon him. It's a little unnerving, and he has to take a moment to keep himself calm. He takes a deep breath and focuses, he has to transform, do the experiment.

' _Got to do the experiment._ ' he repeats in a mantra, making his goal clear and precise. Determined and focused, he lifts his hand up and sinks his teeth into the skin there without hesitation. There's that familiar sting of almost agonizing pain, the tang of iron on his tongue, and then the yellowy-green spark before he's enveloped in blazing heat and seeing from fifteen meters above ground.

He doesn't remember much, strangely. There are flashes of something like him building yet another log house. But he doesn't register that he's out of that mass of flesh and in a bed only a few minutes after transforming. He doesn't know that he's actually remembering earlier transformations either. And now he doesn't really see anything. In fact, everything goes blank, and he's out like a light, simply sleeping in darkness.

•

•

 **Day: 4**

She lets out yet another sigh and pushes his sweaty bangs from his forehead. While she was expecting this, she still can't stand it every time, it never gets better. In fact, she feels sick to her stomach thinking of how he must feel. After he transformed he seemed rather disoriented, and he very clumsily followed Hanji's instructions. Before the crazed scientist called it to a very abrupt halt and asked him to come out.

He surprisingly obeyed and kneeled before his true body left the nape in a daze. She cringes when she remembers how he seemed barely conscious as he doubled over and retched onto the grass. And how unnaturally hot his skin was. It still makes her sweat being around him, his fever is so high. She had a rather firm talk with Hanji, Erwin, and Levi. The latter of which were unimpressed by her vigor in the matter of Eren's experiments. And she was pleasantly surprised when Hanji readily agreed that it is time to take his testing down a notch if he gets _this_ sick over it. Saying that she had, in fact, been about to suggest the same.

His face suddenly twists in a grimace and she's already hovering over him when he lets out a light moan. "Eren?" she murmurs, gently palming his forehead. His fever is still raging, but it's only just lighter than last night. Speaking of last night, she doesn't want to be selfish, but she was very lonely. She couldn't comfortably be in the same bed with him because he just radiates heat, and she was moved to her own bed when she fell asleep at his side. She realized when she awoke without him just how much she needs him sleeping there next to her. She's addicted to his presence, she supposes.

His eyes flutter, and she grabs a cup of broth that Hanji left there in case he became coherent. Studying his movement, she can tell he's conscious now. His fingers curl experimentally and his breathing is controlled. "Eren..." she says his name softly again, and his eyes flutter once more before they barely peel open. "Eren, can you hear me?" she prods, gently rubbing her thumb against his cheek.

He inhales sharply and nods, "Hey, Mika..." he murmurs, and she sighs in relief. "How-"he pauses and gulps, his throat is awfully dry and talking hurts somewhat. He lets out a pained gasp as she gently props him up on a pillow so she can pour the broth into his mouth. He hears her whispered apology, and he accepts it with another nod, it's not her fault he gets so weak. He licks his lips to regain some moisture there, "How long was I...was I out?" he manages, closing his eyes against the light.

She dips a rag into the water bucket she had attained the night before and wrings it out to place on his forehead. "Only a day." she answers, "It's an improvement though. I remember you were out of it for nearly a week the first few times you transformed." she says, smiling warmly when he covers the hand she's placed upon his face with his own and leans into her touch.

"That's good. Did the experiment go well?" he asks, opening his eyes again.

She purses her lip, "In honesty I'm not certain. You acted disoriented so Hanji ended it early. And after we got you out...you uh, vomited, so, yeah...we called it quits." she recalls with a lump in her throat just how sickly he looked.

He hums in acknowledgement and looks down, "How are you doing?" it's obvious she's not very happy, but not in an angry way, she looks tired, stressed, and upset.

She shrugs, "I'm okay. And I know you pull through every time, but it still scares me." she grasps his hand and pulls it up to her lips so she can press them against it endearingly.

He feels the slightest smile tug at his lips and he taps her nose with his pointer finger. "I'm fine." he assures. "And hey-" she looks up at him, he tilts his head to the side and allows his smile to spread wider, "-I love you."

She smiles despite her watery eyes and climbs onto the bed to wrap her arms around his waist and press her face into his chest. She nearly regrets doing so when she feels his sharp intake of breath and how shaky his arms are when they swaddle her. "Sorry." she murmurs again.

"It's okay, Mikasa." he says and threads his fingers through her hair idly.

"Oh, you're awake." both teens jump and Mikasa scrambles to get off of him and sit down again, blushing in embarrassment. Hanji laughs and pats the raven-haired girl on the head as she walks over. "No worries, Ackerman, I just came to check up on him. Seems he's doing well if he's up for cuddling." she says with a teasing lilt to her voice that makes both of them blush again.

"Hello, Hanji." Eren smiles hesitantly.

"Hi, Eren." Hanji smiles back and begins gently examining him, prodding as softly as she can at his tender limbs and muscles. She pulls the candle up to his eyes to make sure they are dilating correctly, then pulls back with a satisfied harrumph. "You look very good, and I can see you are healing well. That scar seems to stay longer each time though...I hope it doesn't end up permanent one day." she says, lightly dabbing her finger on the red "wings" that his Titan form always leaves upon his face.

He presses his own hands to his face with a questioning brow raised. He's heard about them, but never really seen the scars flowering across his face after a transformation. He's usually asleep too long to see them anyways, or never around a mirror. He looks at the mirror Mikasa suddenly (almost magically) procures for him and purses his lip in study. They don't look too bad, in honesty they actually look somewhat intriguing and he wouldn't really mind them staying. He shrugs and hands the mirror back.

"We are cutting down on your tests though." Hanji says.

Eren's eyes immediately dart to Mikasa's face, watching her shrink under his suspicious gaze.

"No, no, it wasn't Mikasa. I made the call, actually." Hanji corrects before he can get accusatory. He looks up at her in surprise, his gaze beckoning her to continue. "Despite how much we need the data, having you out of it for so long is just too strenuous on our already-tight schedule. I know I said you are getting better, but after study it would seem only your Titan form is getting more durable. Your body is still too fragile to deal with this magnitude of transformations so soon. With practice, I'm sure it will get better. But more than two times in one day is just too much, I have come to understand." she explains.

"I want you to rest as long as your body deserves, then we'll schedule another test day a few days after. We'll do one test on your hardening ability. And that will be it." she informs before she turns to leave.

"Yes, Hanji." Eren nods as she goes, and turns to Mikasa, who's twiddling her fingers nervously. Oh, she must think he's angry or something. After all, from how quickly Hanji covered for her, she probably suggested the cutbacks first, regardless of what was said in her defense. He can tell. "I'm not mad." he says, and she relaxes slightly. "I'm just a little upset, because I wish I wasn't so weak."

"You aren't weak. That's just the transformations." she's quick to assure.

"I know, but...just...still." he shuffles in place, "I'm tired of getting so sick every time I have a test session. I wish my body could take more, so I can be more helpful." he explains.

"Eren-" she admonishes and climbs back onto the bed, he doesn't protest when she takes her turn to take him in her arms and cradle his head to her chest. "-how can you think you are anything _but_ helpful?" she finishes in a whisper.

He nuzzles her stomach and allows himself a smile. Of course she'd say something like that. "I suppose you're right. Thanks, Mikasa." he murmurs, he pulls her form closer as he closes his eyes. He feels her fingers thread through his hair, and he relaxes entirely against her. It may be the fever, but he's suddenly very tired, and he doesn't register that he's asleep within minutes.

She sighs deeply, her hand moves to his arm to simply stroke the cloth-covered skin there. He's still warm, and she knows she'll probably be uncomfortable soon, but it's worth it. He's always worth it. So she stays, she doesn't make a move for her own comfort. She observes his sleeping, feverish form for hours before sleep claims her as well.

•

•

 **Day: 5**

He vaguely remembers waking up when someone wriggled their way out of his arms. But he fell asleep almost immediately after, having no energy to make himself get up. Now he wakes again and he holds a hand to his eyes to filter some of the blinding sunlight of the late morning. "Mikasa?" he murmurs, sitting up and holding his head with a groan. The fever is diminishing, but he still has the burning headache that comes with the after effects.

He pulls the blanket off of his sweat-laced form and swings his legs over the edge. He's glad no one is around to hear his belly growl loudly, he's only eaten broth since he was indisposed after all. He stands, frowning at the weakness in his muscles as he pulls his sweat drenched clothes off to switch into clean ones. He jumps when the door opens and a tray of what looks like porridge and bread enters his line of sight.

Mikasa struggles with closing the door behind her and holding the tray, so he takes it from her. She thanks him and turns, her teeth almost immediately start digging into her lip, as he hasn't got a shirt on yet. She still can't get over how delectable he is, and a quick glance at the V-line of his waist makes her smile. She doesn't realize she's staring most longingly at his bare skin until he speaks, "Oi, my face is up here, Mika." he teases with a smile.

She giggles nervously and mentally slaps herself, no doubt he isn't feeling peachy enough for it just yet. It's also not the time to be thinking like that. "Sorry." she blushes and sits down to watch him devour his food rather earnestly. "Hungry, huh?" she smiles.

"Not as _hungry_ as you it seems." he insinuates, smirking when she covers her face in embarrassment.

"Eren..." she whines, shaking her head, "It's not my fault you're attractive." she whispers, peering between her fingers at his face.

He smiles again, "So it's _my_ fault then? Well, I'll try to be less attractive." he continues to eat, almost choking on his sniggering when she swats his arm and sits beside him. He watches her redirect her gaze a few times, debating how he feels in is head. In honesty he has no qualms, but his body might. "I'm not against the idea you know." he adds, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"But you _do_ need to rest. So no." she says in a tone that suggests finality but also betrays that she doesn't really want to say what she is saying.

He puts down his spoon and places his hand around her back to tug her closer by the hip. "What if I don't feel like _resting_?" he purrs in her ear. And he grins in satisfaction at her shuddering breath. Granted his muscles are very sore and he doesn't really intend to follow through with his insinuations (despite how much he wants to).

"Eren!" she admonishes half-heartedly. "Hey! No, no." she bops him twice on the nose with her finger on each syllable and smiles when he pulls back in defeat with a huffy pout. "Now, how are you feeling?" she asks.

He throws his arms above his head and stretches, grunting as he does so. "Tired. Tired and sore. But, considering my regeneration, the soreness should be gone soon." he shrugs.

"I see. You want to go sit outside? Get some air?" she offers a hand to him as she stands. Which he takes without much thought and starts to follow her out. "Ahh! Um, shirt." she exclaims, hustling to dig through his dresser and pull out a shirt. She hands it to him with a blush and he chuckles as he slips it on.

"I don't know why you're still so shy around me, you've already seen all there is to see." he says as he links his arm in hers and leads her out the door.

"I don't think I'll ever be any less flustered." she mumbles, resting her head on his shoulder as they walk. "At least when we're not in the heat of the moment."

"Hey, Eren!" both come to a halt at the familiar voice, and Eren smiles at Armin, who looks just as equally happy to see him. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah I'm okay." Eren says as they fall back into step, Armin tagging along.

"Good." Armin chirps, he seems to be in a good mood, and his rare smile is surprisingly infectious.

Mikasa and Eren both know he's been having a hard time lately. After all, he's so different from the little boy they knew five years ago. He's not innocent anymore. He's taken lives, manipulated. He's cunning, a risk-taker, relentless, some could say downright cruel if need be. His way with words is always beneficial to his cause and the lives of his friends and the Survey Corps. But in the process of becoming such a great asset, he seems to have slowly begun to wear at his own morals and soul.

They've talked about it a few times, when they were alone together in the dark, hands entwined and fingers threading through hair. About how the boy is almost sadistic sometimes, even though it's directly called for, and he doesn't seem to enjoy that role. And how he so easily adopted the unspoken motto of Commander Erwin. Abandoning his own humanity to make a change. It's sad really, but then again Eren and Mikasa are no different.

They've learned to abandon their humanity as well. Eren most especially. And that's why he needs her, needs Mikasa. Because he has someone to ground him, to keep him from losing his humanity entirely. He sometimes wonders if they aren't close enough to Armin in that regard. Does he need grounding too?

Eren glances over at the blonde, who is preparing to sit upon the patch of grass they've decided to use to sunbathe. He knows he's not exactly the best role model for how a human should feel or act, but he wishes he could change that underlying sadness in his best friend's eyes. He pulls at grass while Mikasa makes polite conversation with Armin. He's not really listening, just pondering how they would be if things were different.

He doesn't realize his eyelids are heavy, and that Mikasa is vying for his attention until Armin snaps his fingers in front of his face. "Are you tired already?" the blonde teases.

Eren blinks his bleary eyes with a slight smile, and he feels Mikasa urging him to lay back. "Why don't you sleep? I'll wake you for lunch." she suggests, to which he gives in with a sigh. No use fighting his sudden, dire need for sleep.

"Speaking of lunch, everyone kind of misses you two." Armin says, and Eren simply listens to their conversation as he waits for sleep.

"Well I need to take care of Eren." Mikasa counters. And it's silent for a few minutes, the wind the only sound there is, along with the distant sound of horses nickering.

"At least come to the mess hall for lunch?" Armin suggests after a time. "Eren can come too after all, he's not bedridden anymore. Tired, granted, but not bedridden."

Eren hears Mikasa sigh, "Okay. No harm in it anyways."

"You are pretty possessive, Mikasa. You know that?" he hears that teasing lilt in Armin's voice again.

"What?" there's utter disbelief in her voice.

"You know, we have been seeing less and less of Eren since you two started this relationship. And you aren't exactly always innocent when you slink away to be alone are you?" Oh the blatant teasing! Eren almost cracks a smile. She is rather anxious for his attention in that regard.

"A-Armin!" Mikasa is entirely flustered now.

"Just be careful where you do it, I had to steer a few people away from the bathroom the other day." Armin is almost laughing.

He hears a soft thump, and a quiet " _Ow_.." and he assumes she socked him in the shoulder or something. He's still laughing though.

"There's more to it than just _that_ , Armin." Mikasa says once the boy's chuckling quiets down. "Hell, most days I just sit next to him and that's fulfilling enough for me." she gives a sigh. Eren hopes she doesn't notice his cheeks blooming with color as he pretends to sleep. "I can't imagine going a day without at least holding his hand for a few minutes anymore. And I can hardly remember when we weren't like this, it almost feels like a dream."

"Wow." Armin says, genuine awe in his voice, "You really love him don't you? I mean, I knew you did but, it seems so much more real and endearing than I imagined to hear you talk about him like that." there's a smile in his words, and Eren can hear Mikasa shuffle closer to him.

"Yeah, I do. You should hear Eren, though. Granted, _I_ think it's sweet, but he gets kinda sappy sometimes. And it's adorable to see him when he's cuddly or he's concerned about me." Eren can feel his cheeks blazing with Armin's laughter, and he makes a mental note to get Mikasa back for that comment later tonight.

"Aww!"

And Armin too, he's gotta find a way to get Armin back for that.

•

•

"Eren?" he grumbles as someone shakes his arm and pats his cheek.

Opening his eyes, he goes still at the sight. This looks so familiar, Mikasa hovering above him with the sun crowning her in a golden glow. He remembers she woke him like this all the time before the Colossal Titan appeared. He sits up and rubs at his eyes, "What time is it?" he murmurs.

"Lunch was over an hour ago. I couldn't wake you." she reaches down to help him stand, and he takes the hand she offers gratefully.

His eyes widen when he realizes he doesn't feel so sore anymore. "Hey, I must have healed while I was sleeping." he stretches his arm and flexes his muscles experimentally to test his thought.

She smiles, "That's probably why I couldn't get you to wake up." she says as she leads him towards the castle. "We'll eat lunch, and then I need to go train. I delayed because I wanted to make sure you stayed safe while you slept. You can come watch if you want."

He nods, "Okay." is all he says. Granted he wants to train _with_ her, but he's on orders to rest, so he can't do much about that. "Don't skip lunch next time." he says when he realizes she's going to eat with him. "I don't mind you eating without me."

She ducks her head in embarrassment, "Sorry." she murmurs. There's her obsessiveness again, she really wants to quit, but it's kind of instinctual now, and old habits die hard.

After eating a simple lunch of bread and stew he sits on the grass and watches her fly through the air, dodging trees and makeshift faux Titans. She twirls and flips with utmost perfection as she slices deep grooves into the "Titan necks" of the dummies. She barely lingers for more than a second before she's zooming about yet again, looking for another target to wreak her inescapable wrath upon. He vaguely remembers a time when those moves made him jealous. Now it's entirely different.

Her grace is undeniably en pointe, magnificent, and enchanting to watch, but it's not exactly _that_ aspect of her physique he's focusing on. He's never really noticed before how, well, _sensual_ , she can look while arching her back and pirouetting in the air. It honestly reminds him of when he has her pinned on a mattress. Her back twists in nearly the same way it does when she is writhing in pleasure beneath him.

And he notices how flexible she is when she comes to a controlled stop against a tree. Her legs bend dangerously past the average person's limit as she crouches vertically before pushing off again. Captain Levi's been teaching her most likely, as that's one of his moves. Or she stole it, either way. Yet that move brings to mind a whole other set of unbidden, but not _entirely_ unwanted, and somewhat perverted thoughts of Mikasa.

' _Okay, stop!'_ he literally gives himself a slight whack on his cheek. He doesn't want to be aroused right now, somebody will see and _that's_ going to be awkward. But another glance at her lithe form in the air has him groaning as he runs his hand through his hair in frustration. That's about all he can take. He thinks it's gonna be a long night for both of them. To hell with his rest order!

•

 **A.N.**

 **And to think I was going to end this chapter here! That would have been torturous for my readers XD**

•

She is not surprised in the least. To say there was no sexual tension slowly rising between them ever since this morning would be a lie. And he was eyeing her with a predatory glint in his gaze since her training. That was an hour ago. And he's been staring most unabashedly at her butt this whole time. He is not very subtle, not in the slightest. And while she may not be surprised, per se, she _is_ slightly startled when he spins her around to face him instead of her gear compartment and aggressively captures her mouth. A move that makes her gasp, and grants his highly-adventurous tongue entry. Her fingers move to his scalp and grasp handfuls of his hair when he hoists her up onto his hips so he can grind feverishly into her core.

She loves that feeling when her back hits the wall, the slight rise and fall of her body with each of his careful, slow thrusts is almost as soothing as it is erotic. She tightens her legs around his waist, feeling the muscles flex there, and she parts from him with a gasp when he hits a particularly sensitive spot down below. She feels his lips against her already-superheated skin, covering and lightly tonguing along her sensitive neck. Her hand moves to his shoulder for support at that, followed by a soft moan that makes him speed up.

It is somewhat difficult for him, to say the least. And while he most certainly isn't regretting this rash decision, he is hoping he can actually follow through. He can tell she's starting to notice that he's faltering, ever so slightly, but too repetitively to ignore. And he's right, of course, she starts to glance at him carefully, as if sizing him up, and her body has been rapidly stilling over the course of the past minute. "Eren? Are you okay?"

' _Damnit!'_

Those inevitable words, and he's pulled his lips away from her intoxicating neck with a sigh. He presses his forehead into her chest, slight pride swelling in his own when he feels her heavy breathing. "Mikasa...I'm fine." he murmurs.

"No you aren't. Are you sure you're up for something like this?" she lowers one leg, from his hip to the floor. Why does that move seem to physically hurt? He grasps onto her tighter, as if he feels like she's trying to go.

"Mikasa, believe me when I say that if I _don't_ do this I think I may just explode." he chuckles mirthlessly. Gosh, has he missed her slim figure against his own! Only a few days without her has him near desperation. How dependent he has come to be on her! Or maybe it's addiction. He hears her hum in acknowledgment, and he dares to open his eyes and look up at her face. She has this slight grin on her lips, and her eyes have drifted shut in an almost dreamy expression. He presses a soft kiss to those swollen lips to make her open her eyes. And he pulls back with a pout that almost looks - to her - like a kicked puppy. " _Please?_ "

There's a slight whine in his voice, he's practically begging. At that her pupils dilate, and he barely has time to register that she's switched their positions and pressed him up against the wall. He lets out a strangled gasp when her hand dives into his pants to wrap slender fingers carefully around the length of him. Her teeth graze against the thin skin of his neck and he accidentally bangs his head against the wall when he arches backward in a rare move that she's almost never made him do. "In that case-" his breath hitches at the subtle, erotic husk of her voice, there's another sound he's never heard from Mikasa before. He finds there's tiny, carefully hidden aspects of her personality that he discovers almost every day. "-let _me_ do some of the work for once." she finishes in a murmur against his skin. Before she bites gently and suckles at the apex of his jawline. Her hand also starts pumping long and slow around the length of him.

" _Augh!_ " his gasp almost sounds pained, although it is anything but that. In fact, he doesn't think she's ever made him feel this good. Granted, he's going to have a lot of unexplainable love marks tomorrow if she keeps this up. Now he understands why she likes her neck kissed and suckled upon so much. Because _damn_ , does this make his body weak! In a rather pleasant way that he doesn't ever want to end.

Her unoccupied hand cups the back of his neck to tug him even closer, and he can't help his moan when she tightens her grip down below. "F-fuck...!" he whispers through grit teeth, throwing his head back and tightening his grip on her shoulders.

She chuckles against his neck and pulls back, her hand never ceasing in its relentless pumping. "It's too easy to make you swear like this, Eren." she says, and the way she purrs the words makes his knees want to buckle. She leans forward and kisses his trembling lips in her own passive form of aggressiveness. Her tongue expertly peruses his mouth, making him shudder as it swipes along his gums and tangles with his own tongue. He can't do much but pant into her mouth and let his groans rumble forth as she works him towards completion.

His hands move to thread through her short locks and he begins to return her oral ministrations in a slight frenzy as he nears his breaking point. And he can practically hear her smug grin when he comes undone under her hand. He breaks from the kiss and rests his forehead against her shoulder, letting out a sharp gasp and a low moan as he releases. ' _Okay, fuck...again._ ' cause now he has to change his pants. Or maybe...if she's up for it...

"You okay?" she asks, giggling somewhat as she twists her neck to try and look at him. His impromptu "hug" is a little awkward after all.

He pulls back with an incredulous brow raised, "What do you think?" he heaved with a ragged breath. Ragged for all the best reasons, though.

She smiles and tugs on the hem of his pants, "I _think_ -" she begins, "-that we need to take this somewhere more private." she leans closer to his face in a murmur that sends chills down his spine.

He grins, grasping her hand and purposefully leading her down the castle corridors. Both hiding in an alcove whenever someone walks their way. And they can't help a few hurried, heated kisses that happen in almost every hiding spot. As such the usual two minute walk turns into nearly ten minutes. After the third time she pulls him into an alcove he has to insist they finally walk the remaining few yards to his room. And by the time they stumble inside, kicking the door shut, they are both breathless, hot, and very bothered in the most pleasant of ways.

She's a tad more aggressive than usual, (something that he doesn't mind in the slightest), and she demonstrates by practically pushing him to lie on the bed as she sits with her knees on either side of his legs. Her hands immediately go to the buttons of his shirt, and he sits up to cup her cheek and kiss her long and low. Lips move rhythmically against each other, all the while her fingers work tirelessly to rid him of his clothing. She moans only just barely in anticipation, but it's enough to send a rush of warm electricity down his body and make him shudder.

She's rid him of his shirt and she swiftly tugs his pants away too, nary minding his nudity before she gets up and goes to lock the door. Rightly so, being walked in on once was already more than enough. She tugs her shirt off as she walks back, stopping beside the bed to shimmy her pants down, underwear and all, before she steps out of them, along with her boots, to crawl back onto the bed.

He inhales sharply when she lays her palm flat against his chest and pushes him back until he's laying down again. His breath turns into a hiss when she straddles him and pulls her bra over her head, exposing those soft mounds he loves so much. She shifts her hips and he gasps, his hands moving to grip the delectable swells of her waist so he can buck upwards into her warmth just barely out of sheer instinct. Once she's comfortable with her position she pauses, bracing her hands against him as she raises her hips and align herself.

It briefly occurs to him that they've never done it like this before, he's always been atop her, or they've been against a wall. Either way it's strange and different, but he sure as hell doesn't mind it. Especially when she sinks down onto him, so slowly and sensually. And he feels embarrassed at the sounds she's so easily ripping from his throat as she swathes his length in her moist heat. He isn't usually the one who needs to be hushed, but she's leaning close to press a finger against his lips as she adjusts to his girth.

" _Shh_...don't you always say to be quiet, Eren?" she murmurs, though he can hear the shakiness of her voice, and it makes him smile briefly. She still loses some of her composure, whether or not she is dominant in the bedroom. He nods, promptly letting out another sharp gasp when she lifts her hips again. His toes curl and his hands flex with her movements. He wonders if his thumbs will leave marks from how hard he's gripping her skin. Her hand is pressed heavily against his stomach as she leans back for a better angle on him.

His eyes, which have been screwed shut, open to look down at her, and the sight her panting, sweating form sends a whole new wave of euphoria rocketing down his nerves. He isn't even sure it's _his_ lips that whisper her name in a moan, but he sees her look up in acknowledgment, sending a labored smile his way as she increases her pace. He only has one qualm with this position, he can't reach her or kiss her, and he really, _really_ wants to, he's aching to. So he sits up even as she moves and he cups both sides of her face to bring her close enough for a desperate kiss. One that makes both of them moan in pleasure and let's the pace slow a bit, just a little bit.

His hand moves to gently palm and grope her breast while his lips move to the other points of her face, like her nose, or her cheek, chin even. And he's got to at least bite her lip a little as he passes on his way to her jaw. She moves very slowly now, drawing out each of her thrusts until every inch she moves makes him stiffen and groan against her skin. He can feel her labored breath gracing the hair beside his ear while he caresses her skin with his mouth, moving ever so gradually to her neck.

" _Eren_..." she breathes, and he's tempted to spin them around and ravage her at the sound of it. But he wills himself to let her have this one. Be the one to bring them both to that teetering, precarious edge where they both crash over together. One of her hands moves from his shoulder and down to where they are joined. And he doesn't really know why he feels an intense spike of pleasure just at the knowledge that she's rubbing that little bundle of nerves down there. His hand moves to join hers, his calloused thumb replacing her finger every so often. And he revels in the loud gasp that she emits while throwing her head back. All the while she's still lifting her hips and dropping them back down.

His other hand moves to the small of her back and presses her closer, trapping their hands between them. He hums appreciatively at the feeling of her soft breasts pressing against his chest. And he smiles against her neck when she kisses desperately at the nearest skin she can reach on his face. She's getting frantic, so she's close now, and she increases her pace to prove it. He pulls his hand back from her core and let's it join his other against her back. She follows shortly, wrapping both her hands around his neck and burying her fingers in his hair as she cums.

He doesn't hesitate to follow her, and he muffles both of their satisfied moans with a soft kiss, his hands moving to cup her thighs. She gasps for air when they part, and he lays back instinctively, his thumbs rubbing soothingly into her legs while she pants against his neck. _God_ , he feels like he could do this, be like this, with her for the rest of his life! Even just when they are laying together, coming down from their highs is enough to be so satisfactory that it's pleasantly suffocating.

"Damn." he says after the minutes of silence grow long, and he wants to hear her husky, sleepy voice that she always has after they've made love.

It works, and she looks up at him with furrowed brows, "Damn...what?"

"I think I wouldn't mind you doing that again sometime." he smirks.

She returns it and kisses him gently, "I'm just giving as good as I get." she says, her pointer finger tracing unknown designs on his pectoral.

He raises his brows at that, "Really? That's quite the compliment...you've been giving out a lot of those the past few weeks." he reaches up to twirl a strand of her hair around his own fingers.

She shrugs, "Well you've been rather generous in our...umm... _lovemaking_." she says the word with slight embarrassment, as putting a name to these activities tends to make one blush. "So I thought, you know, I'd focus on you for once."

"You already did that before. But I'm not complaining." he says, dragging his fingertips down her arm and giving her gooseflesh.

She ducks her head and bites her lip, "Yeah..." she buries her face in his neck and he sighs when she starts gently kissing there. "Hey, Eren?" she mumbles against his skin.

"Hmm?"

"I don't really think I'm done, for today at least." she shifts her hips, and for the first time he realizes that they haven't separated yet. He stiffens and stifles his gasp by biting his lip.

"What did you have in mind?" he asks, he's both excited and a little nervous.

"After dinner." she says, pulling her hips up and cringing as he slips out. He chuckles at the rather obscene noise and she swats at his arm.

"What?! It's funny!" he continues to laugh.

"It's gross!" she blushes and presses her thighs together self consciously. "I think a bath is in order." she mumbles.

"Hey!" he says suddenly, "Your cycle is over." he points out.

She ponders and nods, "Yeah. Oh God...I forgot I was even on it!" she groans and facepalms.

"Oh...and speaking of baths..." he wiggles his eyebrows and chuckles when she rolls her eyes.

"Maybe...I don't know about the bathroom though, Armin says he... _heard us!_ " she squeaks.

He bites his lip, he already knows that, but he can't tell her he was awake. "We'll just have to be extra quiet then." he smirks. And she scoffs as she swings her legs off the side of the bed. "Right?" he calls when she doesn't answer, admiring her ass when she bends over to dig through a drawer. "Of course we will." he murmurs under his breath.

•

•

 **A.N.**

 **I suppose you can guess where the next chapter will be starting off ;)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**As expected...this chapter started off with a bang.**

 **Hehe! Get it? Bang! Lol...ugh...I'm just gonna go sit in a corner with my miserable pun.**

•

•

The bath water must be getting cold by now...at least she thinks it might be. She's a little too hot to tell right now, and they aren't even doing anything more than simple roving of tongues and hands ( _yet_ at least). But Lord have mercy, she thinks it should be considered the same thing! What with how erotic his shadowed, turquoise eyes can be when he glances up at her through thick lashes during his ravishing of her breast. Her fingers lace and tug through his damp hair as she tosses her own wet locks from her face and throws her head back in ecstasy.

His hands move to grasp tightly at her thighs as he pulls her further onto his lap, close enough to reach her neck. And she hums in delight when she feels his tongue collect the droplets of water that glide down her skin. Teeth graze the surface above her jugular just barely and she can't seem to take it anymore. She grabs his face none-too-gently to tilt it up and crashes her lips against his in desperation.

His hands move to rest under her shoulderblades and press her body into his, smirking lightly into her eager mouth. And he gives a light grunt when she grinds her hips down against his own. He can feel her warmth even through the chilling water, and he's determined to be surrounded in it again. He shifts, moving her so he can attempt to slide inside.

"Ahh...Eren...wait, dinner is soon." she moans, pulling back from his lips, yet biting gently at his kiss-swollen bottom lip as she does.

He chases after her retreating mouth and manages a few quick pecks. "Damnit, Mikasa.." he murmurs, his fingers trailing up her inner thigh. "I just don't think I _can_ wait until after dinner...I may do something drastic."

She lolls her head back in a bemused sigh, "I should have bathed alone, you've got me all hot and bothered now." she slips her hands around his neck and presses her forehead against his, closing her eyes.

He trails his finger against her core mischievously, and she lets out a light huff. " _Mikasa_..." he drawls, smirking when she opens her onyx eyes and scowls lightly at him.

"If I didn't love you to death, I think I may have kicked you from the tub by now." she mumbles with a groan. His breath hitches when she moves her lips to his neck and suckles on the love mark she's already left just below his jaw.

His fingers become adventurous and she gasps breathlessly when he gently thrusts them inside, curling just the way he knows she likes. Her hips jerk and her breath is loud in his ear as he lightly works her towards a climax, a little swiftly for his taste. But then again they _are_ in a rush (or so she keeps saying). She moans a tad too loudly and he lets out a gasp of his own when she latches onto his skin again to keep quiet. Her body lifts and falls to meet his hand, and water sloshes over the edge of the tub noisily to compensate for her quieted exclamations of ecstasy.

"Fuck... _fuck_ , Eren! Eren...okay.." she releases his neck with a whimper and reaches down into the water to pull his hand back. He inhales sharply when she practically slams herself back down onto the length of him with a satisfied gasp.

" _Augh_...I didn't mean to...mean to force you.." he pants, gritting his teeth with each of her noisy thrusts.

She shakes her head, "I doubt you could force me... _ah_...even if you t-tried." she smirks as she bounces lightly atop him. He makes himself busy by taking her pert breast in his mouth and swirling his warm tongue around the bud. Pulling soft mewls and gasps from her as he suckles just barely.

Just the sounds she makes alone make him feel like he could fall over the edge sometimes. She falters in her movements and moans loudly when he mischievously bites just barely at her nipple. Small mistake, but worth it, even as her fingers fist painfully in his hair and she tugs him back to slant her lips over his again. She breathes so heavily with each thrust of her hips and the rhythmic splash of the water. And the slight whine in her breath sends spikes of white-hot pleasure coursing through his body.

At this point she gives a muffled cry as her body stills, and he has to buck upwards a few times into her to achieve the same high as she's just managed. He moves to suck at her neck again as she milks him of his load. And she threads her fingers so very gently through his hair. Almost as if she's apologizing for nearly ripping it out a few moments ago.

" _God_..." she whispers, her succulent chest heaving under his now-tentative, lazy touch.

He smiles against the fresh mark he's just left on her collarbone and kisses the bruised flesh carefully before he moves to make eye contact. Her eyes are still lidded, and that gorgeous blackness that swallows the normal obsidian grey of her irises is still there. Still intoxicating. He knows he was not lying to himself earlier when he said this would be a long night. She's still not done yet, not nearly. She clearly has much more left in her.

"So you still want to wait until after dinner?" he murmurs teasingly, his thumbs rubbing circles tantalizingly on her inner thigh.

"I normally wouldn't, but you need to eat first. And...aren't you on rest order?" she asks suspiciously.

He pecks her lips lightly and smiles again, "Mhmm." he gives a full-out grin when she sends him a reprimanding look. "Hey, you started this." he accuses.

"No I didn't, _you_ did. Remember?" she pokes her finger into his chest and he grabs it with speed that makes her gasp.

"I do.." he purrs as he brings her hand up to his face and kisses the inside of her wrist, tongue barely touching the soft, highly sensitive skin. Of course he does, and he also vividly remembers her skilled handwork. He feels her twitch around the length of him and he's already aroused again.

She tugs away as if he's on fire, "Our skin is pruning." she says, reaching for a towel and affording him a most appreciated view of her toned ass. He doesn't bother to resist the urge to lean forward and press a kiss on her hip while his hands caress her soft flesh there.

"I'm only getting out if we go straight to the bedroom. Dinner can wait." he challenges.

"Eren..." she bends to rest her hands on the side of the tub and lean heavily on them when his finger trails along the swell of her bottom and down into her wetness.

"Mikasa..." he returns in a tease, smirking when she gasps. "Come on..."

She's determined though, and she quickly, nimbly leaps from the tub, her foot narrowly missing his now-confused face. She hurriedly runs the towel over her body, all the while a grin is gracing her features. She looks over her shoulder at his pouty expression and puts on the robe she wisely brought. "Only if you catch me." she says before she slips out the door, her wet feet pattering loudly away as she runs down the hall.

"Hey! _Fuck_...wait, Mikasa!" he scrambles to unplug the tub and get out, toweling down his body carelessly and pulling on his pants with a frustrated groan. He is already out the door and chasing after her seconds later, even as he slips his loose shirt over his head. He nearly collides into a wall as he makes a sharp turn, and he manages to make it to his room just in time to stop her from closing the door.

She yelps and giggles in delight when he slips into the room and hoists her up bridal-style. Locking the door behind him. "That wasn't very nice." he kisses her forehead as he lays her gently upon the mattress.

"You probably wouldn't come otherwise." she trails a finger down his cheek endearingly.

"I said I would...if we did dinner _after_." he murmurs as his lips descend to her soft neck, leaving the lightest of kisses that feel like fire to her.

She wiggles underneath him and brings her knee up to stroke him through his pants. He lets out a hiss against her neck and his hands dive to untie her robe. "You didn't dry very well." she mutters as she threads her fingers through his dripping hair. A few droplets splatter on her face and make her laugh as she wipes them away.

He doesn't respond, as he's busy spreading the cloth of her robe so he can move to her chest yet again. She hums in pleasure and bucks her hips upwards when he takes her breast in his mouth yet again. He moves so very slowly, as if they have all the time in the world. And she can't stand it! Her hand grips his hair a little tighter and she keeps herself quiet while he works. She wagers that if he wants to hear her moan and whine, he's going to have to do more than that. "Eren?" she pleads, her knee moving up again and drawing a harsh gasp from him.

He releases her breast with a retreating kiss and sits up, feeling her hips shift desperately under him while he straddles her. He tugs his shirt over his head and tosses it away, following with his pants. She takes her small window of opportunity to pull her robe out from underneath them and toss it as well before his lips are back upon her skin. Caressing and suckling while his hand gently spreads her legs apart.

She is still determined not to make any noise, gritting her teeth to hold in the needy whine her throat desperately tries to emit when he enters. He doesn't wait, thank God...he immediately starts moving, and she can't help the light whimper that he pulls from her lips. And he's _rough_ , tantalizingly so, a husky growl even rumbles in his chest as he buries his face in her neck and pants. She raises her hips to meet him each time and arches into the mattress, finally letting herself mewl and moan.

He falters slightly when her nails dig into his back, and he can tell she breaks the skin there when the faint hiss of steam reaches his ears. At that he stops moving and slips out, much to her disapproval, announced in a whine that sends more warm heat ricocheting down his spine. "I'm not stopping, just roll over..." he instructs, prodding her onto her stomach.

She bites her lip, eyes lighting up in excitement as she eagerly spins underneath him, raising her lower half up on her knees and grasping at the blankets in anticipation. He gently grasps her hips and grits his teeth as he re-enters. " _Ahh_...Er- _en_..." her voice breaks, and she presses her face into the sheets in an attempt to quiet her cries when he starts moving again.

Fuck, if those sounds don't make him feel weak he doesn't know what will! He leans forward to place a kiss upon the glistening, sweaty skin of her back, and he smiles when she bucks up into him desperately. His fingers roam to her sensitive clit and gently rub, and he revels in the choked cry she gives as she comes. Her body stiffens, back arching upwards before she goes limp against the mattress. He thrusts only a few more times to finish himself off, and rests his forehead against her back, groaning deeply while she shifts underneath him.

"Tired yet?" he whispers. He's honestly worn out, himself. After all, he never had much stamina to begin with when it came to the bedroom, and he's gone at it three times in one day. He doesn't think he _can_ go again even though he wants to.

"You sound hopeful." she teases, wiggling out from under him and laying on her back.

He shrugs and lays beside her with a grunt, "Well...I kind of am." he chuckles.

She throws her leg over his own and pulls him closer, "Understandably so. I think I've been thoroughly fulfilled for now, Eren." she pecks his lips chastely. "Are you hungry _now?_ "

He scoffs and ponders, "Yeah."

"Then let's go eat." she moves to sit up.

"Can't we just eat in here?" he whines, rolling onto his back, "I don't want to move..."

She grabs his arms and tugs him until he's sitting up too, "Not a chance, Armin is expecting us." she grunts when he tugs back. "Eren!

He just laughs as she releases him and he flops back down onto the bed. She huffs and gets up, purposefully swinging her hips as she walks to his dresser. "Eren, if you don't get up, you aren't fucking me for a week." she bites her lip to hold back her chuckle at the strangled sound he makes.

" _What?!_ " he practically screeches.

"You heard me." she says as she slips on her underwear. She's only teasing, of course, but he's a stubborn jackass sometimes and he needs... _motivation_. She doesn't think she, herself, could last a week without being intimate, so it's a hollow threat after all. Though, she doesn't think she has ever seen him get out of bed faster than he has just now. "Come on." she tosses him his pants and tugs her shirt over her head.

She hears him grumble something among the lines of: "I can't believe you'd go _that_ fucking far to get me out of bed..."

"Oh hush." she taps his nose with her pointer finger and chuckles at the scowl he sends her way.

"There, I'm dressed, happy?" he stands as he pulls a shirt on and crosses his arms.

"I was only teasing, Eren. I'd never hold back on you like that." she says with a triumphant smirk as she walks out the door.

" _Mikasa!_ " he cries as he runs after her.

•

•

Someone's tapping his shoulder when he wakes the next morning, but he knows it's not Mikasa. When he opens his eyes she's still asleep after all, head resting on his arm and her lips parted in the lightest of snores. He manages a small smile before he registers that someone is hovering over him. "Hanji?!" he gasps and presses a palm to his chest in surprise.

She has a knowing smirk on her face as she wags a finger in his direction, "Now Eren, I know many of us could consider fucking someone to fall within the rest order boundaries..." she begins, and Eren promptly makes a strangled, choking noise.

"Oh God..." he rubs at his forehead.

"-but next time...please refrain, it's no joke that you need your rest." she scolds. "Granted, Levi has the same ideas when it comes to what he calls _resting_." she snorts and shakes her head as if remembering something crude and humorous.

He looks at her with a twitching eye, "Are you saying that you and Captain Levi are...?" he implies.

She looks at him as if she's almost surprised he's there, and she covers her mouth with a giggle, "Oops! I don't usually let that slip. But _yeah_ , no use lyin' about it." she shrugs.

"Oh my _God!"_

"What?"

"What's that even like? How long have you two been in that type of relationship?" he asks, absolutely flabbergasted.

Hanji chuckles, "Well, he's rather sweet once you break the ice in that regard. And _damn_ does he have stamina!" Hanji gives a goofy smile and bites her lip, looking wistfully at the ceiling. Eren's officially decided that's too much information, and he turns red at her implication. "And maybe...erm...well, I don't know exactly, but we've been a couple since about...two years after he joined the Survey Corps." she explains.

"I didn't need that visual." he groans, looking down at Mikasa as she starts shifting beside him.

Hanji notices that the girl is waking and pulls back with a smile, "I best head down to breakfast. And try not to get all fuck-happy this morning. Seriously, get some rest, lover-boy!" she says far too loudly as she leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Mikasa's brow furrows as she opens her eyes, "What did she just say?" she mumbles.

"Ugh...nothing." he mumbles as he runs his hand over his face, "Apparently she and Levi are in a relationship." he says to change the subject.

She blinks up at him, "Oh? I thought as much." she shrugs.

"Don't tell me you knew!"

"Well-" she smirks, "-when you happen to be walking past Levi's quarters...and you hear a certain Squad Leader-"

"Do _NOT!_ Do not even go there!" he cries in mortification. "Dear God!" his eyebrows knit together as he seemingly tries to banish the obscene visuals she just gave him from his mind.

"-you put the pieces together." she finishes, earning a light swat on her shoulder as he sits up and swings his legs over the edge of the bed. She laughs and gets up on her knees, wrapping her arms around him from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder. "How are you feeling today?" she asks.

"Fine. More than fine, even." he answers, bringing her hand up to his face and kissing the palm.

She smiles at the gesture and buries her nose in his neck, inhaling deeply. His scent is rather intoxicating, and she hears the same from him regarding herself. "That's good." she breathes.

"Did you just sniff me?" he peers at her with an incredulous chuckle.

"Yeah."

"Heh...reminds me of Mike." he murmurs.

She frowns, Mike died nearly a month ago. While he never really seemed to be close to the man, Eren was still greatly saddened by that event. She does remember the man's strange habit of sniffing people. "I didn't know him very well." she says, "But I know what you mean."

Eren turns to her with a hesitant smile, "Sorry, I try not to think about things like that. I don't like to make you worry."

She shakes her head and hugs him, "You have a right to remember people who have passed, you know. It doesn't matter if I worry, what matters is that they stay alive in your thoughts." she pulls away and taps his forehead with a smile. "Ready for breakfast?" she prods, attempting to steer him towards something happier to dwell on.

His face brightens and he stands, taking her with him. "That's why I love you, Mikasa." he says as he kisses her.

"I remind you of breakfast?" she teases, and laughs when he sputters incredulously.

"N-no! I meant...ugh!"

"I know what you meant, Eren." she chuckles and kisses him in return. "I love you too."

•

•

Despite her words, Eren finds himself thinking about just how many people he's seen die since that fateful day five years ago. There have also been people he hasn't seen die, or never even knew about until someone mentioned them. It really weighs him down, even though he knows it's not his fault. He grimaces when he remembers Thomas...and he can sometimes hear Mina, Millius, and Nack screaming as they are eaten. He closes his eyes and cringes lightly at the phantom noises in his head.

"Oi, Eren. Ride straight." he blinks and sits up in his seat, glancing to his side at Levi. The Captain, while emotionless in appearance, does seem to notice something is off with him. And he motions for his squad to stop, with the excuse of it being a routine break.

Eren sighs as he sits down on the grass beside his horse and pulls his knees up to his chest. He can see Mikasa out of the corner of his eye, she's stroking her horse's muzzle tenderly, even laying a soft kiss on its nose. He manages a slight smile at that, it's nice to see her in such a gentle setting. "So, Eren-" he jumps as Levi speaks to him again, "-hope you don't mind if I sit." he says, not even waiting for a response as he lowers himself onto the ground beside the startled teen.

"What's troubling you?" he asks, not looking at him, which Eren is grateful for. He's still not quite over that incident in the courtroom a couple months ago, despite how much he wants to be.

"Um...just thinking about, well, death to be honest. People who have died. It got brought up earlier and I haven't been able to get it off my mind." he replies, albeit uncomfortably. The Captain is no therapist, nor is he a very warm, inviting person, talking to him can be like talking to a piece of ice.

"Ahh." Levi says, pulling a cloth from seemingly nowhere to clean something minuscule from his hand. "Someone once told me never to dwell on those things. They make you regret the choices you've made in the past. They make you second-guess yourself in the here-and-now. And they make you fear your future choices." he says, voice still as monotonous as ever.

Yet Eren is intrigued, the Captain is known to be intellectual, but he never thought he could speak so comfortingly and wisely about such matters. "I suppose that's true." he murmurs, tugging his knees closer to his chest. "But it's easier said than done." he adds, closing his eyes briefly at the pain in his heart.

He sees Levi look at him out of the corner of his eye, then back at the horizon. "Indeed." is all he says, and it makes Eren wonder, what with how he said it, if he's ever lost somebody, besides his previous squad. He turns his head to observe the now-distracted Captain. He's looking at his squad, most particularly, at Mikasa. Why's he looking at her?

Peering carefully at Levi, Eren realizes he looks sad, almost confused. "Captain? W-why are you staring at her?" he asks in a stutter, mostly because he doesn't want to sound like a guard dog. Mikasa's not his possession, he's simply concerned for her, and worried about the Captain.

Levi looks at the teen out of the corner of his eye and his face loses all trace of emotion. "It's nothing." he says, standing and leaving without another word.

Eren watches him go with a confused frown, why _was_ he looking at Mikasa like that? He supposes he'll likely never know, but it doesn't hurt to wonder. Then again...that guy Kenny...didn't he share Mikasa's last name? He glances at her again, and he wonders if Levi was, perhaps, thinking about her possible connection to the man?

•

•

Mikasa feels a little wary about this, they haven't seen Historia in weeks. And whenever she has been brought up in a conversation, she's noticed that Eren shows discomfort. It is why, while holding his hand on the way to the mess hall (where she is absolutely certain the young queen will be), she is rather apprehensive. And sure enough, when she enters alongside him, she feels him stiffen at the sight of the girl.

Eren is frozen. Seeing her again causes painful, agonizing memories (of both his and his father's) to come flashing before his eyes. "Ow..." he hears the pointed sound, and he looks down in surprise as he releases Mikasa's abused hand.

"Sorry." he apologizes as he feels a cold sweat break out on his brow. He glances back over at Historia with a fearful, almost pained look on his face. And she's staring right back at him, concern etched across her features. Granted, she's not a sweet, innocent young lady, but she has allowed herself to somewhat revert back into that loving persona she's always had.

"Hello, Eren." Historia walks up to him indirectly, as if she doesn't want to provoke anything, be it fear or defense, on his part.

He gulps and licks his dry lips, "Hey...Historia." he whispers. He didn't expect to feel so petrified after seeing her again. To be honest, he had thought the ice was broken after she denied her father in favor of letting him keep his shifting (along with his life). But he supposes he must have a hidden, lingering fear that surfaced during her absence. And now that he sees her, he is feeling it _very_ well.

"-here to discuss the upcoming mission to Shiganshina with Commander Erwin." the blonde in question is explaining to a strangely-civil Mikasa. He missed out on their conversation due to his own racing heart and thoughts.

"You're coming on the mission?" Mikasa asks in surprise.

Historia's face falls, "No, as much as I'd like to, the people need a leader. And there's very little chance that you all will come back. It's almost a suicide mission." she explains, "If I could go, I'd be on a horse in a heartbeat." she adds with a forced chuckle that Mikasa reciprocates.

"Anyway, I should probably go see the Commander now. Good seeing you two, Mikasa, Eren." she moves to pat his shoulder and he's ashamed when he flinches most noticeably under her touch. She pulls her hand back hesitantly, fingers curling and her features twisting into a frown. "Right." she barely murmurs loud enough to hear before she walks away.

"Eren?" Mikasa peers at him in concern as he watches the girl walk away with a lump in his throat. "Are you okay?"

He looks to her and musters what he is sure looks like the most artificial smile in history. "I'm fine." he says. When in reality, he's just as horrified as he was in that cave when she touched him. Because when her fingers lightly grazed his arm, he was bombarded with flashes of memory, both of himself and his father. He honestly fears he may start to cry if he doesn't change the subject. He never did properly mourn his father after all.

"Eren-"

"Let's go eat, I'm hungry." he says, most blatantly steering her away from this conversation. It's not that he doesn't want to tell her, he's just upset, and he needs to calm down first.

"You aren't getting out of discussing this." she murmurs, so quietly he doesn't even hear her.

•

•

Despite it all, she fell asleep before she could strike up conversation with her stubborn partner. A fact she'll probably slap herself over in the morning. But for now, she's more worried about what she's just woken up to. She's not unused to it at all, but it's been some time, last time being before they entered the Cadets. She is woken from a dreamless sleep, during the darkest hours of night, to the familiar whimpers and sniffling of someone having a nightmare.

She quickly turns to face him, and her heart feels like it's been stabbed. He looks so pitiful, so sad, so...broken. "Eren?" she sits up and prods at him by shaking his shoulder, "Wake up, Eren. It's a nightmare." she leans closer so he might hear her through whatever he is seeing right now.

And she screws her eyes shut when she hears him whine in an almost childlike voice, calling for _mum_. ' _Don't make me cry too_.' she scolds in her head as she shuffles around and pulls him by his shoulders onto her lap. "Wake up!" she says loudly, shaking him vigorously once more.

He opens his eyes with a choked, teary gasp, and she sighs in relief. His shuddering breath as he looks around revives her worry though. And she starts to thread her fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him. Those beautiful, watery eyes meet hers for a mere moment, before he twists in her lap and clutches to her shirt. She gives a slight smile at being able to comfort him like this, but it fades when she hears the whimpers of his somewhat-subdued crying return.

"It's just a dream, Eren." she murmurs, "Just a dream, sweetie." she presses a kiss to his hairline and closes her eyes when he starts to sob.

"I-" he manages to say, but another round of tears silences him. She grimaces in an effort to keep herself from following his example. She waits patiently, her hand gently stroking his back. "I keep...keep seeing them, mom...and d-dad, and Hannes. But, even now..." he grits his teeth to keep from interrupting himself with more whimpers, "-even now...even though I'm stronger, I still can't s-save them!" he moves from clutching her shirt to fully wrapping his arms around her and tugging her close so he can drench her shirt with the next wave of tears and shameless wails that follow.

She doesn't speak, as she can't trust that her voice won't waver, but she returns his embrace and holds him tightly. As much as she loves comforting him when he's sad, this is on a whole other level. He's not just sad, he's heartbroken, terrified. And she can't help him much when he's like this. He quiets down quickly though, and she starts threading her fingers through his hair as his shoulders slowly stop shaking. The occasional sniffle reaches her ears, and she reaches up to wipe one of her own tears away.

"It's okay now." she murmurs. She feels him nod, and she looks down when he shuffles to simply lay his head on her lap and stare at nothing for a time. She gives an assuring smile when his eyes occasionally glance up at her, but she's still waiting for him to speak.

He opens his mouth and inhales deeply, "I'm sorry." he breathes, moving to pick absentmindedly at the hem of her sleeping shorts.

"Don't apologize." she leans down to kiss the peak of his cheekbone, placing a hand upon it as she pulls back. "I'm glad to be here for you."

He gulps as his eyes become shimmery once again, and he takes a few deep breaths before he attempts to speak again. "I haven't dreamt about them in a while...at least my mother. You've been fairly distracting these last few weeks, so I didn't focus much on my father."

"Historia." she summarizes before he even gets to the point. "Seeing her triggered it."

He nods, "I keep seeing the moment I...I..." he grits his teeth again as he loses his composure. And he closes his eyes in resignation when tears start to flow again.

She knows what he's trying to say, the moment he ate his own father. It wasn't his fault, it was entirely unbidden, and he never would have even known if Reiss hadn't gotten ahold of him. But she can't imagine the horrible burden of knowing that you were directly responsible for a parent's death. "I know." she murmurs.

He grimaces and curls in on himself, "It hurts." he whimpers, and the words cut through her heart, "It hurts _so_ _much_." he starts to hiccup on sobs again, albeit far less intensely than before.

She sighs deeply and hugs him closer, "I know...I know..." she murmurs, pressing her lips to his hair as his body starts to shake again. The scene brings back memories, memories that make her smile despite herself. It wasn't long ago, only about six years, when he used to do the same for her.

He'd invite her into his bed even as a small child, and she started sleeping there habitually not long after she moved in with the Jäger's. She had nightmares, awful nightmares, and she was often awake all night whimpering until he started comforting her. He did it the exact same way, she would curl into a ball in his lap and cry into his chest, all the while he assured her with quiet whispers and gentle stroking of her hair.

They switched roles not long after the fall of Shiganshina. And she feels a sad sense of nostalgia, knowing this has been the centerpiece of their relationship for so long. Trying to pick up the shattered pieces of what they've both lost.

She gives a start when she realizes he's moved and is now looking her in the eye. He gives her a hesitant smile, despite his wet cheeks, which she gently wipes at with her thumb. "Thank you." he says, grabbing her hand and kissing it softly.

She pulls him in for a warm, comforting hug, smiling when he nuzzles his face into her shoulder and neck. "As if you need to thank me." she murmurs.

He pulls back to give her the most chaste, simple kiss she thinks they've ever shared. And it leaves her feeling fuzzy and content inside. She hopes he feels the same. "Every now and then, I get the nightmares." he says, frowning slightly. "I'm just glad I have you, Mika. Even though I don't enjoy venting my problems to other people." he adds with a chuckle.

"Well you've done more than enough for me in the past, you know I'd do anything for you. Something as simple as this doesn't burden me in the slightest, Eren." she cups his face and presses her forehead to his. she feels him nod against her, and she prods for him to lay down with her.

He snakes his arm around her waist and pulls her as close as she can comfortably be, finally closing his eyes in peace. She traces light patterns on his skin as he falls asleep, a smile painted onto her face and a warmth in her heart so different to only minutes before. She still feels concerned, as she knows he'll likely be seeing Historia again tomorrow. But perhaps he'll take her presence better now that he's vented his inner turmoil.

•

•

He inhales deeply and steels himself, fist held up to the door, and heart pounding in anxiety. His own conviction, along with Mikasa's earnest prodding, has led him to Historia's room. As his raven-haired lover said this morning, he needs to "-find closure." with the young queen. And she also mentioned that perhaps Historia wasn't exactly comfortable around him herself. After all, she saw memories too when she touched him in that cave.

He exhales and knocks a few times against the wood. He hears shuffling, a light groan, and the sound of dragging footsteps before the door opens. He looks away and bites his lip at her bedraggled appearance. She looks like she hasn't slept for at least a few days. Her hair is knotted, body haggard, eyes bloodshot, and face weary. "Historia." he greets.

"Eren?" she blinks a few times and opens the door further to allow him inside. She doesn't shut it, but rather leaves it open just barely before she moves to sit on the chair at her desk. "What brings you here?" she asks.

He finds a chair to sit in and fidgets with his hands as he plants himself upon it. Clearing his throat, he looks to the side as he speaks, "I guess I needed to talk to you. I'm sorry for yesterday...I was just, well, a little shocked." he says.

She seems a bit pleased to hear him say that, as her mouth twists into a calm smile, "I understand. I felt the same. Strange as it is, I thought I had gotten over our... _difficulties_." she refers to the brief grudge she held against the boy. Which her father instilled in her before she chose her path. "Are you feeling better about yourself?" she asks. After all, he seemed to be rather depressed and despairing when they tried to make him transform. Raving on about how insignificant he thought he was.

He gives a sheepish smile, "Yeah...I was a little... _dramatic,_ wasn't I?"

She chuckles, glad that the tension around them seems to be easing up. "You were. Most definitely. But I think it's what saved your life, in a sense." she says as she sits back and props her feet up on the desk.

He gestures to the display and gives a light chuckle of his own, "Not very queen-like is it?"

"I do what I want." she says, tilting her nose in the air and pursing her lips haughtily.

"You're silly."

"And you have yet to tell me of this new relationship with Mikasa!" she accuses, pointing a finger at him, "I'm dying to know how _that_ got started. Granted, I knew it would happen, but seeing that I missed it is rather vexing."

He blabbers and turns red, "I-uh..."

"Ahh, never mind, it's a girl thing to want to talk about that. I'll just get the details from Mikasa." she waves her hand with a smug smile. "You know, Eren, I may have mixed feelings about you sometimes, but I think of you like a brother in some aspects."

He grins somewhat nervously, "And I have absolutely no idea what to think of you, Historia."

She tuts and moves to stand with a smile, "Thanks for talking to me, Eren. I think it did us both a great deal of good."

He stands hesitantly, surprised himself that the conversation is already over. "Yeah, I think it did." he says, smiling warmly.

"I'd love to stay and catch up more, but I do have a meeting with the Commander soon." she says as she leads him to the door. "I suppose I should also thank you for waking me, I might've been late otherwise."

He chuckles as he exits her room, "You're welcome. Have a good day, Historia." he waves over his shoulder.

"You too, Eren. Say hi to Mikasa for me, I don't know if I'll see her today." she calls as she closes the door.

He walks into his room and leans against the closing door with a sigh. That did do him a great deal of good, even if it was simple, idle chatter. Granted, he's still unsettled by the girl's presence, but he already feels much better about having her here. "How'd it go?" Mikasa asks while scrubbing oil into the leather of her soldier's uniform.

He moves to sit on his bed and run a hand through his hair, "Good, I don't feel terrified around her anymore." he shrugs.

She puts the items she's holding down and moves to sit beside him, "That's good...but do you think you'll stop having nightmares?"

He frowns, "I don't know. I most likely won't. I don't think there's really anything I could do to stop things like that." he grasps her hands and examines how pruned her fingers are from the cleaning she's been doing.

She leans her head on his shoulder and nods, "I suppose."

"Do you have training today?" he asks.

She nods, "Not until later. How about you? When's your next shifting session?"

He shrugs, "Probably in a few days. Give or take one day."

"Why do you ask?" she peers around with raised brow and a smirk.

He scoffs and pulls her hand up to kiss her knuckles softly, "Just curiosity, Mikasa."

She hums and pulls her hand from his grasp, standing up and stretching her arms above her head with a contented sigh.

He bites his lip in a smile, he knows what she's doing, and he's not planning to resist. "You could just ask, you know?" he stands and pulls her closer by the hips, sweeping her hair away from her neck so he can kiss her there.

She giggles and leans back into him, "Who says I was _trying_ to ask?"

"Shut up..." he scoffs, turning her around to capture her lips with his own.

She giggles more into the kiss and wraps her hands around his neck, "Okay, maybe I was." she pulls back with a smirk.

"Happy to oblige." he murmurs, nibbling at her lower lip.

•

•

 **A.N.**

 **Aaaaand gonna stop right there cause I need to give you poor souls something lol. But do not fear! I shall continue this with the next chapter ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**WHAAAAT?!**

 **This fic isn't dead?!**

 **I bet you thought it was didn't you? I can sense it.**

 **Nope! I'll never leave you guys hanging forever. But I do suppose an explanation is due. I hit a major mental block with this story, because I need to end it soon, maybe 1 or 2 more chapters after this one, but I just couldn't make a game plan for how to proceed.**

 **At any rate, I managed to find a ladder big enough for this mental block. And here's the next chapter, full of fluff, jokes, and a lemon at the end because you guys deserve it for waiting so long. Consider it my apology *V***

 **Also...*sniffs* I uh, I had to include Armin more, because if you're a manga reader, you know. God I love that little cinnamon roll, I love him so much. His recent...development, was part of the reason this got delayed further. I was too sad.**

 **(I'll kill Isayama if he doesn't get the serum)**

•

•

Hands tangle in hair and lips glide against each other, but what was going to be nice, languid morning sex turns into frustration, as a knock on the door interrupts them like a cold bucket of ice water. "Fuck!" he hisses as they part, Mikasa shrugs and buttons up her shirt while he goes to answer it.

"Eren, Mikasa." Armin greets, and Eren's irritation dissipates.

"Oh, hi Armin." he rubs the back of his neck and flashes a nervous smile over his shoulder at the smirking Mikasa.

"I came to let you two know the schedule...Commander Erwin says we need to discuss our strategy later tonight. We head to Shiganshina in little a couple weeks after all." Armin says, fingers idly fiddling with his 3DMG straps.

"Okay." Mikasa smiles assuringly.

"And tomorrow Hanji wants to brief us on the thunder spears. She only really needs Mikasa and me, but apparently you need to know the basic gist of what's going to happen, Eren." he explains.

"Right." Eren nods and motions for him to continue.

"We'll be leaving on the Wednesday after next week's." Armin inhales deeply, thoughts drifting momentarily. He bites his lip and looks at the floor, "These might be the last couple weeks of our lives..." The smiles melt away from Eren and Mikasa both, traded for equally solemn expressions. It's true, this is an all or nothing mission, if something goes wrong, they all die.

Armin chuckles mirthlessly, "Sorry for bringing that up. I've ruined the happy mood you two have got going." he runs a hand through his hair and exhales.

Eren scoffs and grabs him by the shoulders, pulling him in for a hug, and eliciting a squeak of surprise from the teen. Mikasa giggles softly and watches the two hug, they are like brothers, arms wrapped tightly and faces buried into each other's shirts like it's the last time they'll see one another.

"We need to sober up every now and then." Eren says as he pulls back, ruffling Armin's sunny locks and laughing at his disgruntlement.

"Still-" Armin sighs, leaning into Mikasa's comforting side-hug. "-I'm really glad to have you two, y'know?" he starts to blink rapidly when his eyes turn glassy with tears.

"Don't start crying now." Eren teases, "You'll make Mikasa cry too."

Mikasa scowls at him and rolls her eyes, "He says that, but he's the one who would cry." she shoots back, smirking at Eren's blush.

"No I wouldn't." he mutters.

Armin wipes his eyes with the back of his hand and lets out a light bark of laughter. "I'm not used to banter between you two." he smiles softly, hands moving to his hips, "Anyway, Hanji says we'll be briefed around ten o'clock tomorrow, so you'll need to wake up early. And we have mandatory practice later today, Mikasa."

Eren bites his lip and frowns, "Can I come too?" he asks.

Armin turns to him with a sympathetic smile, "I'm not sure, you'd have to take it up with the Commander. As far as I can tell, you should still be on rest order right?"

Eren crosses his arms and shrugs, "I think I'm off the hook."

Mikasa raises a brow, though, considering their activities the past few days, he's got a point. "I'll ask Erwin if you can practice with us today." she places a hand on his arm and pulls him close for a peck on the cheek. "I'm going to go get dressed for it."

Eren blinks, grabbing her arm as she makes to leave, "Hey! I thought you said it wasn't until later?"

"That was when I had more than half an hour." she says.

Eren gives her a scowl and scoffs, crossing his arms again, "It wouldn't take half an hour."

"With what I had in mind, it most certainly _would_." she says as a parting gift, and grins as she heads out the door. It doesn't help him when she sashays her hips on the way out.

Armin takes his turn to blink, unaware of the cockblock he had performed earlier. "What would you need a half an hour for?"

"Don't ask." Eren sighs, the boy is smart, but still a little too innocent to understand Mikasa's insinuations.

•

•

Eren's request to join his friends during practice was approved, on the condition that Hanji watched him. Of course he accepted without forethought. As such, Hanji decided to bring a disgruntled Levi with her.

"He's so _cute_ when he's mad." the tall, bespectacled woman says as she check's Eren's hardly-used gear.

Eren purses his lips, glancing in the Captain's direction, taking in his scowl and cold posture, "I can't say I think the same." he mutters in reply.

"Well, to me at least." she giggles. "Let me help you with this." she grabs his wrists and lifts his arms so she can reach around his waist and clip his 3DMG into place.

"I can do it myself." Eren sighs, rather overused to people pandering to him, despite his urging that they don't.

"I never said you couldn't. I just wanted to help you this time." Hanji turns him around so she can inspect him once more, "There we go. Don't over-exert yourself, okay?" she pats him on the shoulder and motions for him to be on his way.

"Thanks." he mumbles, taking a few steps before he stops to grab his triggers and test the grappling hooks.

Mikasa lands beside him, clearing her throat, "I bet you I could get ten first." she smiles when his head snaps up, eyes narrowing and lips pulling back in a smirk.

"Is that a challenge?" his grin widens when she flies away, spinning in midair to flash him a sharp salute. "Oh, it's on!" he whoops, pulling out his blades and chasing after her in hot pursuit.

Armin watches them fly away into the trees and huffs a soft laugh, pulling out his blades as well and testing his triggers.

"You coming?"

He looks up in surprise when he hears Hanji speak, but relaxes when he realizes she's talking to Levi.

"It's your turn to watch the brats. I'm not in the mood." the raven-haired man sighs, sitting on the grass and crossing his legs.

Hanji sighs and turns with a shrug, "Suit yourself." she vaults away into the trees to keep an eye on Eren.

Armin lets a small smile creep into his face at the interaction, returning his attention to his gear. He deems the triggers to be functioning properly, and then he aims for the trees and vaults away in much the same manner as Hanji did. He wobbles a bit, firing his opposite hook and righting himself as he pulls out his blades.

He finds a Titan dummy, two or three notches already cut deep into the foamy "neck". He raises his swords and slices, pulling away swiftly and observing the damage with a grimace. _'Never was good at this.'_ he figures to himself. Granted he's never even killed a Titan before, despite being in the Corps for so long.

He zips around in a circle and comes upon the same Titan, not unintentionally, and tries again, aiming for another section of the neck. He gives a sharp grunt and slices again, pulling away yet again to rest against a tree. "Damnit." he sighs, observing the shallow notch and frowning.

"Arlert."

Armin yelps, spinning against the tree. His cheeks warm in embarrassment as he registers Captain Levi positioned similarly against the nearest tree, "Yes, sir?" he asks.

"Follow me." Levi says, zipping away towards the ground.

Armin gulps and follows, biting his lip when he stumbles on his landing.

Levi turns and observes him, lips pursing only barely, "Have you always had so much trouble?"

Armin feels that damned blush come back to his face, and he looks at the ground as he nods. "Well...yes."

"You didn't look like you were having trouble with the gear when we captured Leonhardt." Levi shifts his weight, bringing a hand to his mouth as he considers, "I think you try too hard." he surmises.

Armin looks up in surprise, face twisting in confusion, "What?"

Levi raises a brow, "For one-" he approaches the boy and pulls his hands up, "-relax your hand, you only need to hold the blade." he explains, "Like all swords, it's an extension of your body, treat it as such."

Armin nods, swallowing the extra saliva his nerves are providing.

"Use gravity to your advantage, you don't need to put so much effort into your strikes. Also-" Levi allows the faintest hint of a smile to tug at his lips, "-don't worry about these scrawny little arms. You'll grow into them." he pinches the thin skin of the boy's arm.

"Ow." Armin mutters, rubbing his arm and smiling bashfully, "Thank you, Captain."

"That's not all, let's go back up there and see how you handle another 'Titan'." Levi pulls his blades out and fires his grapple, zipping away.

Armin scrambles after him, smile widening when he realizes Levi is teaching him. Helping him even.

•

•

"Ten!" Mikasa shouts as she slices a most sizable divot into the Titan dummy's neck.

"Fuck!" Eren hisses, coming in just behind her to deliver another blow. "No fair! I found it first." he calls, chasing after her laughing form.

"Don't be a sore loser." she says, glancing over her shoulder as she swings in a wide arc around a tree and flies past him in the opposite direction.

He follows, albeit less elegantly, and attempts to catch up. An act of which is nearly impossible most of the time, but at this particular moment, she wants to be caught. And she _is_ caught. She lands on a thick tree branch and bursts into a fit of giggles when he practically crashes into her. He gives a yelp of surprise as they wobble precariously, and she laughs harder as she backs up against the tree trunk.

"That was dangerous." he points out, but the smile on his face makes his scolding meaningless.

"Your point?" she grins and pecks him on the lips briefly, not giving him a chance to respond to her touch as she pulls away. His bottom lip purses in a frustrated pout, and she taps his nose with a finger. "Still worked up from earlier?" she asks, letting her head rest against the rough bark.

He shrugs, bracing his weight on one arm against the tree while his other trails down from her shoulder to her clavicle. "A little...not that it would be smart to try anything here." he looks up with a smirk.

"Oh no. No it wouldn't." she exaggerates her agreement, feeling a smile tug at her own lips from his insinuations.

"Not that I wouldn't try anyways. Cause, you know, I'm not too smart." he cages her against the tree with his arms, leaning in with a predatory going in his eyes.

"No, you're not." she agrees breathily, leaning up to meet his lips-

"Jäger..."

Eren pulls back in surprise and exhales sharply in relief when he sees its only Hanji. "Sorry." he says.

Hanji lands on the branch they occupy and gives a shrug of her own, "I don't care what you two do, but save it until _after_ training, alright?" she winks, pulling the trigger on her 3DMG and swinging away with the pointed implication to follow.

Eren turns to a flushed Mikasa and chuckles sheepishly, "Well, suppose we'll finish this later." he says with a smile, swinging off after Hanji.

Mikasa blushes harder and smiles softly, pulling her maroon scarf up over her nose, "I suppose we will."

•

•

Armin gently drops his gear and sits down unceremoniously on the grass, panting heavily and rubbing his arms. While he is enjoying the results of Captain Levi's tips, it's still grueling work, and he's never been very physically apt, despite his constant training. He wipes the sweat from his brow and lays back with a sigh, his breath still coming in sharp huffs as his body cools down.

"How you doing, Armin?"

The blonde opens his eyes and peers down his body at Eren, who stands with a bemused smile just beyond his feet. "M'fine." Armin mumbles, playfully waving his friend away, "Go away so I can nap." he adds.

"Weren't you the one begging Mikasa and me to come to lunch with everyone?" Eren grabs his hands and tugs at them, urging the reluctant boy to his feet.

"Ereeen..." Armin whines, going limp.

"Armiiin!" Eren mimics, tugging harder, "Mikasa help me."

"Don't make Mikasa fight your battles for you."

"This isn't a battle! You're just being a stubborn jackass!"

"You're going to pop my shoulders out of their sockets."

"Well I wouldn't have to if you would get up."

"Eren." Mikasa chuckles, placing a hand on his shoulder and motioning for him to move. Eren drops Armin, who lands with a loud thump, and stays where he lands. "You're doing it wrong." she chastises, tapping Eren's nose with a slender finger.

"Then show me how to do it right." he smirks, crossing his arms as he steps back.

She grins, kneeling beside the blonde, "Armin..." she prods, nudging his shoulder.

He opens one eye and peers at her, "Hmm?"

"Are you going to get up? Or do I have to make you?" she asks, voice laced thickly with a false sweetness that both boys know immediately to fear.

"Umm..."

"Alright then." she shrugs, slipping her arms under the boy's knees and back before hoisting him up and eliciting a yelp of surprise from him.

"Mikasa!" Eren barks with laughter, doubling over in mirth when she drapes Armin unceremoniously over her shoulder.

"Okay, let's head to lunch." Mikasa turns to Eren with a triumphant smirk, patting Armin's thigh pointedly.

Eren follows her closely, leaning into Armin's line of sight, "You'll get up next time then?" he asks.

Armin looks up and shrugs, or attempts to, rather. "Depends on who's asking." he sighs, propping himself up on his arms, "This is degrading."

"Now you know how I felt." Eren retorts, smiling when he thinks of how Mikasa used to do the same to him in their trainee days.

"I just wanted to take a nap."

"You can always nap after lunch."

Armin's lapses into silence, peering over his shoulder when they near the castle.

"True."

"Woah, I thought that was Eren." Jean chuckles as he enters the hallway Mikasa is currently walking through.

"I resent that." Eren grumbles.

"What'd you _do_ , Armin?" Jean ignores Eren's retort.

"Nothing." Armin smiles innocently.

Jean shares a skeptical look with Eren, "For some reason I don't believe that."

"No, it's true. He didn't do _anything_ , that's the point." Mikasa says over her shoulder, using her free hand to open the mess hall's door. "In we go."

"You can put me down now."

•

•

It's a morbid meeting, that's all one could possibly say. Despite their betrayal, Bertholdt and Reiner were close to Eren, and - like with Annie -he still has reservations about what they plan to do. They all do, he can sense it. It will never get easier, he supposes.

The whole of the Survey Corps is here, listening as Erwin explains their fallback. The man in question holds up a thin case, open to reveal a syringe and a bottle of clear, slightly yellowish fluid. "Whoever gets injected with this will become a Titan." he says, "And by that I mean the mindless, man-eating Titans you are all familiar with. A Titan without any intelligence."

"As you all already know, Titans were possibly originally derived from human beings." he continues, "Today I'll be explaining how to properly administer this serum. Once used, one could steal the power of Titans such as the Colossal, Armored, or Beast Titan. If that were to happen, that Titan would regain his or her intelligence, along with their human form, and be able to shift between them, like Eren Jäger."

Eren feels a few gazes turn to him, and Mikasa's hand squeezes his gently under the table.

"I need everyone here to be aware of this. Granted, our main goal is to eliminate all the intelligent Titans and recapture Wall Maria. But if the opportunity arises, I would like to take one of the Titan's power. With it would come valuable information, and the healing of a person near-death." Erwin pauses, "This will only be administered to an injured soldier. If you capture a Shifter, cut off their arms and legs and call Captain Levi. He will be carrying the injection. And remember, there is only one." he says, handing the now-closed case to Levi, who takes it with a somber nod.

There are some closing words, but Eren doesn't hear them. He is occupied with looking around the room. Somebody in this room will soon be a Titan Shifter, if fate smiles upon them. Granted, fate tends to have a twisted sense of humor, and things almost never go according to plan. His gaze lands on the members of Squad Levi, his friends ever since his trainee days.

Everyone wears a similar, somber, contemplating expression. Eren recalls how Erwin stated that only an injured soldier would receive the serum. He can't help the harrowing images his mind bombards him with of his all his friends being injured. Worst of all being Armin and Mikasa. Both of whom he turns to and offers a sad smile, and they return it in kind, understanding his thoughts without a single word shared between them.

Erwin dismisses everyone, and they all stand to leave.

Eren takes Armin and Mikasa's hands, leading them away and outside. They don't speak, they simply walk hand-in-hand, Armin keeps his gaze on the ground, Mikasa leans against Eren's shoulder, and he keeps his turquoise orbs fixated on the stars.

"So..."

Eren smiles at the attempt at conversation, and he looks at Armin inquisitively, "So?"

Armin chuckles breathlessly, and Mikasa hums in tentative mirth. "It was too quiet." he sighs.

Eren nods, "Yeah...yeah I know." he inhales a deep breath and comes to a stop, ushering his trio to sit on the grass. "Quiet because there's nothing to say." he murmurs.

Armin rests his chin in his hand, "I wish there was less time between now and the expedition." he says.

Mikasa peers around Eren's shoulder, "What do you mean?"

Armin scoffs, "I can't take all this waiting, it makes me anxious. And there's next to nothing to do between now and then besides the few meetings we have planned. I just...want this to be over." he uses his free hand to pull up grass, tossing it into the slight breeze. "I want everything to be over and done with. I want to go see the ocean with you guys...see the fields of ice and fiery water..." he trails off with an endearing smile at their childhood memory.

Eren and Mikasa glance at one another, it's the same for everybody, everybody feels the same. And they both feel the same about seeing the outside world. So they understand him completely.

"A foolish idea." Armin sighs, tossing his latest handful of grass and leaning back on the heels of his hands.

"It's not foolish." Mikasa corrects, reaching across Eren's lap to place her hand over the blonde's knee. "Granted, not exactly _realistic_ , at the moment, but it's not foolish, Armin." she smiles.

Armin hums, "Maybe."

"Try not to think about it." Eren placates, laying back to mimic Armin, and Mikasa follows suit.

 _'It will all be over soon after all, one way or another, no matter the outcome...'_ he thinks to himself, glancing at either of his companions. Armin's eyes are closed, and he has the lightest smile on his lips. Mikasa is looking at the stars, and he can see them reflected in her onyx eyes. The sights bring a smile to his own lips, "I love you guys, you know?"

Armin bursts into incredulous laughter.

Mikasa rolls onto her side and props her arm up, "I sure as hell know that." she leans forward to kiss Eren's forehead, taking in his following blush with a smile.

"I am _not_ kissing you too." Armin chuckles. "I know Mikasa doesn't mind, but that was a bit too intimate for me."

Eren playfully socks him in the arm, "Like a _brother!_ Geez!" he laughs, "Love you like a brother, okay? Besides, you got all mushy on us this morning, consider it payback."

Armin shakes his head and nods, "Okay then."

Mikasa shuffles closer to Eren and lays her head in the crook of his arm. "Are we going to stay out here all night?"

"Nope." Eren grins, glancing at her with a suspicious brow raised. "Why? Did you have something in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Mikasa lifts her head to say.

Armin sits up and clears his throat, catching their attention. "Should I make myself scarce?"

Mikasa laughs, sitting up and holding a hand out for Eren, "No, we'll do the honors, you can stay if you want." she says with a wink, pushing her confused partner along.

"G-Goodnight Armin!" Eren waves over his shoulder.

"We all know you aren't going to be sleeping!" Armin calls back.

Eren pauses, a difficult task - considering Mikasa's insistent nudging - and shrugs, "I'm still going to bed later." he grins as he allows her to lead him along again.

Armin lays back down with a sigh, chuckling over their behavior, and feeling far less somber. While he still has an underlying worry at the back of his mind, he'll leave it there just for tonight. Those two have a way of lifting his spirits, even if they're a little too flirty sometimes. Not that he minds all that much, it's always nice to see their relationship developing like that.

Nice to see some positivity in such a world.

•

•

"I suppose I should go lay down then." Eren snickers when she lets go of his hand to shut and lock the door to his bedroom.

"I suppose you should." Mikasa turns on her heel and leans up against the door. She gives a light, mirthful hum as she watches him kick off his boots and make himself comfortable on the bed. He tucks both hands behind his head and crosses his legs at the ankles, smiling as he closes his eyes.

She doesn't make a move to follow, staying where she is and studying him. It's a pastime she indulges in often enough for one to interpret it as obsession. Not that she minds it being seen as such, she'd shamelessly declare that she's obsessed with him. In a good way that is. In a can't-get-enough of him manner. The thought makes her giggle quietly.

"Going to join me?" he asks, not bothering to open his eyes and see her response.

She bites her lip and pushes off from the wood of the door, following suit with her own shoes before she sits at the foot of the bed. His smile widens when he feels her weight upon the bed, and he pats the mattress to motion for her to come closer. She raises a brow, and she doesn't heed his invitation, but rather trails her finger down the inside of his ankle.

He flinches away from her touch and peeks at her through one eye, "What are you doing?"

She shrugs, letting that same finger return to his skin and trail upwards, over his pants, and up his leg. Her body follows closely, and she smirks when he shrinks back into the pillow at the sight of the dark shadows of lust in her predatory eyes. She plants her knees between his, forcing him to spread his legs. And his breath hitches when she teasingly brushes her nails against his inner thigh. She soon turns her attention entirely to the tent he's pitching in his pants when it twitches at her touch.

She tilts her head to the side, resting her weight on her unoccupied arm, and brings the heel of her palm down lightly on his erection. His hips jolt upward into her hand, and she peers up at him through her lashes when a muffled groan escapes his lips. "Mikasa..." he breathes, partially in reverence of her practiced palming, and partially due to the fact that he'll need time to cool down if she decides to bring him to his orgasm.

She only acknowledges the former meaning of his warning, putting a little more pressure on him, and relishing the delectable, shuttering breath he huffs out. "Oh God, okay that's it." he gasps, sitting up and tugging her up by her shoulders until she's straddling him.

She grunts as he flips them, his lips descending to her jaw and feathering down the column of her neck. "You'd think it wasn't just two days ago we did this last." she breathes, threading her fingers through his hair while he kisses her collarbone and unbuttons her shirt.

"Two days?" he says, voice laced with incredulity, "It's been that long?" he adds huskily.

She giggles, the sound soon accentuated into a soft gasp when his tongue dips into her clavicle. She uses her occupied hand to tilt his head and gently pull him up to be level with her face. She leans up into reach, and her teeth tug at his bottom lip, luring him in for a deep kiss, her tongue delving into his mouth at the earliest possible moment. He manages a chuckle against her mouth, stifling the noise when she thrusts her free hand into his pants.

"Not into savoring it tonight?" he murmurs against her lips.

"Savoring it? You mean like this?" she responds by dragging her hand torturously slowly down his length. And she kisses him again, swallowing his sharp groan and the thrust of his hips into her hand.

"Keep that up and I'll have to finish you with my hands." he breaks away to gasp, biting his lip when her grip tightens momentarily.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" she grins.

"Mikasa..." he chuckles, sitting back on his haunches.

She smiles, pulling her hands back so she can push her pants down the length of her legs. She tugs her bra over her head and hooks her leg around his waist. He eagerly shuffles closer, bracing himself with hands in the pillow on either side of her chest. He takes a moment to remove the scarf from her neck, giving her a tentative, almost-chastising smile as he does so.

She re-buries her hands in his hair and closes her eyes in bliss as he moves to kiss a trail down her neck, laving gently at some points. His teeth drag lightly over her collarbone, and she shivers with the gooseflesh that follows.

"Mmm..." she bites her lip to muffle her moan when his warm, wet mouth covers her right breast, tongue swirling far too lightly against the nipple. He shifts his weight to one arm, allowing one hand to grip her opposite breast. He kneads lightly and grazes a blunt nail against the sensitive skin there.

Her hips buck upward, desperate for friction against her pulsing nethers. "Eren." she murmurs, breath stolen by his calloused hand, now dragging along her ribs, down her sides, and coming to a slow, teasing stop on her hip.

His thumb rubs a circle against the pronounced dimple there, and he moves his oral ministrations to her other breast. She nudges her hip into his hand, silently begging for his touch, of which he gives, but not where she wants it. His fingers instead graze the inside of her thigh, trailing down to her ankle before coming back up. "Eren?" she gives a light whine, hands moving from his hair to try and direct his hands.

"Just wait a moment, Mikasa." he pulls back from her breast to say, pressing his lips to the swell of it and then reaching up to press them to her jaw.

"Okay, I waited a moment." she bites her lip, giggling when he trails his fingers across her stomach. The sweet sound of which is abruptly cut off in a wanton moan when he slips two of those same fingers into her waiting folds. She inhales sharply, mouth opening in a silent gasp and head digging into the plush of her pillow as her back arches. His lips have followed his hand, and he tongues lightly at her sensitive skin, laving a tantalizing trail of warmth and euphoria.

"Ahh...hah..." she pants, hips rolling upwards to meet the thrust of his fingers and the stroke of his tongue. His free hand gently drags up and down the length of her leg, and she reaches down to thread her fingers through his hair again, lightly brushing the tangled locks in an attempt to stay grounded.

He presses her hips down, he doesn't move to murmur the words: "Hold still." and she gasps at the movement against her lower lips, one hand moving to grasp at the sheets desperately.

"Do that aga-mmf! Fuck." she mumbles, "Again." she manages to finish her sentence with her next breath.

He smirks and mimics his earlier movement, blood rushing to his groin at the sound of her delirious, broken speech that follows. Her hand tightens its hold in his air, almost to the point of discomfort, and he adds a third finger to speed her along.

She moans, tossing her head back as her toes curl and her back arches in ecstasy. A loud gasp, followed by the stiffening of her muscles, and she goes limp, shuddering and panting. He parts from her with a soft smile, rubbing a circle on her thigh as he shuffles to his knees and moves to hover over her again. He kisses her neck, tongue laving over skin, of which is covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

"If that's what you mean by savoring..." she exhales with a smile as he moves to kiss her forehead and eyelids tenderly.

He chuckles and kisses her once more - chastely - on the lips, before tugging his pants from his waist and kicking them off. She admires him appreciatively as he does so, blushing despite the fact that she's already seen him so many times before. He catches her ogling and scoffs, reddening in embarrassment, "Oi..." he scolds.

She spreads her legs in response.

He barks a laugh, shaking his head and moving to brace himself above her once again. She hums and adjusts her position, wrapping her ankles around his back as the familiar sensation of stretching to accommodate him overloads her senses. He presses his lips to her jawline, smiling against her soft skin when she moans in his ear.

She tugs him in closer, nudging him into range of her lips. He accommodates her and swallows her next moan, letting out a quiet moan of his own when she clenches around the length of him. She fists her hands in his shirt, and he gasps in surprise when she rolls, coming out on top of him. "You forgot to take this off." she thumbs the fabric and taps his nose with her finger, sitting back to brace herself with both hands against his abdomen.

He pants, hands moving to grip her hips when she starts to rock them back and forth. Setting a slow, tantalizing rhythm that has him biting his lip to keep the onslaught of primal noises she's pulling from him quiet. She leans forward to kiss him, still rolling her hips as much as she's able, "Don't do that...you're not...loud anyways." she pants, bringing one hand up to caress his cheek, and he covers it with his own.

He huffs a laugh, the sound breaking off when his face twists and his eyes screw shut in pleasure as she increases the pace. She sits back, fingers trailing down his chest on their way back to his abdomen, and he shudders at the chills the move elicits. "Ah-ahh..." he gasps, fists clenching against her rocking hips as he bucks up into her.

He manages to pry his eyes open and peer down at her while she works. He glides one hand up over the swell of her hip and on to her breast, cupping it gently and thumbing the peak. She moans, leaning more heavily on his chest while she frees one hand and slips it into the apex of her thighs.

He grunts, the erotic sight just enough to push him past his breaking point, and with a shuddering moan he bucks up into her. His hand moves back to her hips, holding them down to still their constant movement. She gasps, exhaling sharply as her walls convulse around him. At which point she relaxes, laying on his clothes chest and sighing deeply.

He pants, dragging one hand up and across the expanse of her sweat-sheeted back, scratching gently in the way he knows she likes. She hugs him closer, nuzzling into his neck and kissing the equally sweaty skin there. "Tired?" she murmurs against his pulse.

"Mmhmm." he sighs, bringing his opposite hand up into her hair, stroking gently.

"These next couple weeks...they're going to be kind of boring." she says matter-of-factly.

He hums in agreement, "Yeah, and?" he prods.

She chuckles, "We should spend some time with everyone. Can't spend every day in here fucking, you know." she adds cheekily.

He laughs, rolling to his side and bringing her with him, "Yeah, I know."

"Good."

"I'll be sure to remind you of that."

"Eren!" she smacks his shoulder.

"What? You're the one who started it, again."

"You started it last time."

"Well _you_ started it this morning." he retorts, silencing her with a kiss, "Not that I'll ever mind." he murmurs, pecking her soft lips a few more times for good measure.

"God you're cute." she sighs.

He recoils from their post-coital cuddling with a scoff, _"Cute?"_

"Oh shush, I'm allowed to call you cute." she pulls him back in and nuzzles into his chest, "Now go to sleep, you big baby."

 _"Mika..."_

"Nickname!"

"Sorry."

•

•

 **A.N.**

 **Almost done with this, it makes me sad but happy at the same time when I get here with a story.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ahh guys I'm literally tearing up! I'm so sad that this is ending and then I had to go make this chapter all fluffy and sad and angsty. God I love this story to death.**

 **Nearly took me all year to finish this, can't believe it. Funny how a simple, Eremika smutfic turned out to be so much more.**

 **Enjoy the final chapter! It's short, because there isn't all that much left to say.**

 **Also...**

 **Nice, kinda angsty/sweet then steamy smut to start off as a final gift to you guys.**

•

•

"Tomorrow is the last day."

Eren rolls to face her when she speaks, a small, half-hearted smile spreading across his lips in an attempt to reassure her. He wants more than anything to comfort her. Wipe that sad frown from her face and have her smiling, laughing again like she has so many times these past couple weeks.

"I know." he tugs her closer so he can press his forehead to hers. She grasps onto him like he is a lifeline, and he can feel her shaking, if only just so.

"Mika..."

"I'm scared...terrified even." she whispers, "I don't want to go back there, I don't think I'll ever _want_ to." her lip quivers in tune with her voice, and he swipes his thumbs against her fluttering eyelids when a tear or two escape.

"I know how you feel." he says, stroking her hair in an attempt to soothe. She buries her face in his neck, throwing her leg over his and tugging him as close as he can physically be. He presses his lips against her hair, one hand gliding up and down against her back, sliding under the shirt she "borrowed" from him. She shudders under his touch, her skin peppering with gooseflesh. His breath hitches when she starts to kiss at his neck, her own touch feather-light and fleeting.

"Eren?" her breath is hot against his skin, and he exhales shakily in anticipation.

"Yes, Mikasa?" he asks, although he knows what she wants, he still wants to hear her say it.

"Tomorrow is our last day...possibly the last we all spend alive." she says, and he nods against her shoulder.

"I know."

"Eren?"

"Yes?" he's shaking just as badly as she is now.

"Make love to me?" she kisses his pulse point to cement her question.

He nods, "Alright." At his answer she rolls onto her back and waits for him to make a move, hands resting on either side of her head. He smiles as he hoists himself above her, and she returns it ever so tentatively. He tugs the maroon scarf down so he can access her porcelain skin more easily. Her breath hitches when his lips descend to her neck, and a soft sigh escapes her when he sucks sharply at her pulse.

He runs one hand down her side, gliding over her bare, scarred hip and down the outside of her thigh. The motion has her thrusting her pelvis up against his growing arousal, eliciting a grunt from him. He moves to kiss her, softly, tenderly, and she grips onto his nape when his hand glides up the inside of her thigh. Her lips part in a silent gasp when he finally touches her where she needs him to.

Her hips buck into his touch, begging for more than what he's already giving, and he kisses her again to soothe her. She threads her fingers into his hair and gasps for air when he moves his lips back to her neck. "Eren...please." she breathes, voice bordering on desperate. He nods, nose brushing her jaw as he does so. He gently thrusts, entering her easily enough without guidance. They've done this enough that he goes by memory.

She arches up against him, hands gripping at the sheets when he moves within her. He presses his forehead to her shoulder and pants, kissing the sweat-sheened skin every so often. One hand glides between them to stimulate her, and she throws her head back in a moan, each breath afterwards accentuated by a soft "Ah."

Her legs hook around his waist, and she murmurs his name repeatedly as he rubs swift circles against her clit. She comes quickly and without much ceremony, besides the way she chokes on her breath, body jerking beneath him. He gives a husky groan when her inner, silken walls convulse around the length of him. But it is not quite enough to bring him over the edge just yet.

Her chest heaves with her breath, and she reaches a hand up to caress his jaw, thumb running over his lips. He kisses the pad of her finger and brings his own hand up to grasp her hand. "Eren..." she sighs, rolling her hips to meet his thrusts.

He threads their fingers together and pins her hand to the bed, his other hand following suit. She takes her lip between her teeth to muffle a moan as he speeds his pace, following her over the edge shortly enough. He kisses her fiercely when his hips stutter to a stop, jerking once or twice at the spasms of pleasure he receives. Afterwards the room is quiet enough to hear the sweat of his back splash against the shirt she wears in droplets. Along with the noise of their kiss breaking, following by the shaky breaths of both youths.

He moves first, prying his hands from her grip and supporting her hback while he sits up. She comes willingly, hugging him tightly and thumbing the shorter hairs at the nape of his neck. He kisses her shoulder, bared now, as the shirt is too big for her and hangs from her frame at the elbows after their lovemaking.

"You alright?" he asks.

She nods, nuzzling her face into his neck, "I am now." she murmurs, lips brushing lightly against his sweaty skin.

"Don't worry about the expedition..." he says, even though it's all either of them can think of.

"I know. I won't." she pulls back enough to look him in the eye. He smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes, and she kisses him to keep him from thinking too far down that road. "You shouldn't worry either, if you're telling me not to." she admonishes.

He scoffs in amusement, "I'm not."

"Hypocrite." she says, pressing her forehead to his, "You are." she shivers when his hand caresses her newly bared breast, as her shirt has slipped down far enough for it. His thumb brushes over her nipple, and a sly smile begs to be kissed off of his face, so she does just that.

"Mmm..." he hums into her mouth. "I love you." he says in the brief respite she grants from the kiss. And then he kisses her again, tongue delving deeply into her mouth and making her moan appreciatively.

She smiles, genuinely, when he pulls back, "I love you too." he pecks her lips once more and then trails his mouth down her neck in response. She sighs, pleasured, and lets her head loll back, eyes drifting closed as he descends further. He lays her back down, and she shifts in place, "Eren?" she questions as he

"The night is still _quite_ young." he explains, lips latching over a pert nipple and tongue swirling slowly. She gives a light chuckle at that, not in any way opposed to another, obviously more leisurely round.

"Mhmm...yes it is." she sighs when he starts to rock his hips again. "Think you can handle two rounds?"

He releases her breast with an obscene pop and gives her an incredulous look. "I know I can." he murmurs, voice thick and gravelly with arousal. She grins in response, and then gasps as he bites at her jaw, dragging his teeth tantalizingly against her skin before he moves back down to her breast.

She tightens her grip in his hair and lifts her hips to meet his timed thrusts. Breath shaky with her building climax, she flips their positions and places her hands over his when they come to rest at her hips. He immediately lets loose a gasping moan, something she loves about this position.

"I like it...when you do that." she pants, rolling her hips forward sharply.

He bites his lip in response, looking up to avoid her gaze as his cheeks flush with color.

"Eren." she encourages, leaning forward to kiss him, "Stop that." she says upon pulling back. She refers to his biting of his lip, a reflexive move he uses when he doesn't want to be noisy.

He opens his mouth to respond, instead screwing his eyes shut and thrusting up into her when she clenches purposefully around him. "Ah-ahh...!" he moans, and she speeds her movements. "God..." he gasps, short of breath and arching his body up desperately into her.

She leans forward again to lave her tongue against his pectoral, taking his nipple into her mouth. And while he flinches at first at the unfamiliar sensation, he soon threads his fingers encouragingly through her sweat-matted hair.

She feels a stroke of pride and triumph when his following moan is caught in a choked gasp, and he comes for what is likely the last time for this night. His thumb delves between her thighs, and she continues to roll her hips instinctively when he stimulates her towards her own second climax.

"Mmm..." she hums against his skin, finally coming to a stop as her orgasm passes. He lets out one last moan, bordering on feminine in the pitch of his voice, and the sound ignites a brief laugh in her.

He pants heavily, lifting her face by the chin to look her in the eye, "What are you laughing at?" he asks.

"It's just funny sometimes...when I do this-" she rolls her hips again to demonstrate, and he chokes on his breath out of surprise when he moans again. "-and you make those sounds." her voice turns husky with post-coital contentment, "I really love it." she purrs as she caresses his jaw with her lips.

He turns his head away, still quite embarrassed over the matter. "Yeah, yeah." he grumbles.

"Don't you like it when I do it?" she asks, laying against his chest and tracing patterns on his shoulder.

"Well yeah..." he sighs.

"It's the same both ways, Eren." she says, kissing his collarbone.

"I suppose that makes me feel a little better." he rolls onto his side and she yelps when he brings her with him.

"Are you tired yet?" she asks, shifting uncomfortably when he pulls her off of him.

"Mhmm." he nods, eyes already sliding closed.

"Good." she kisses his forehead and gets out of bed to clean herself up. By the time she's finished he's out like a light, and she pulls his shirt back up over her shoulders before she slips in beside him. She takes her turn to admire his resting features, brushing sweaty hair from his forehead and tugging the blanket up to cover his necessities.

She lays down and closes her eyes with a smile, one hand stroking his arm as she lets herself follow him into sleep.

•

•

"Good God!" Armin breathes, shaking his head at the display. Sasha was an animal, ravenous to the point that she was biting Connie! _After_ he made her lose consciousness, for that matter. They eventually had to tie her to the post in the mess hall.

"I think she might have been playing it up a bit." Mikasa says from across the table.

"Nah, you don't know her like I do." Connie butts in.

Armin chuckles, glancing up at the other boy and nodding in agreement.

"Now if you wanna talk about really useless soldiers-" Jean suddenly speaks up, his conversation with former MP: Marlo having previously been too quiet to truly take precedence at the table. "-what about suicidal blockheads who rush headfirst into a fight?" he tilts his head in Eren's direction. "Hmm?"

Armin shrinks in his seat, literally caught in the middle, having sat between the boys. Mikasa shakes her head as Eren pauses in bringing his drink to his mouth.

Eren puts his mug down and glances sidelong at Jean, "And who do you mean by _that_ , Jean?" he asks, a challenge evident in his voice.

Jean smirks just barely, "What other suicidal blockheads do we have?"

Eren's lips twist into a somewhat-irritated grin, "You know, I'm actually a pretty normal person. Trying to goad me into saying that about myself is a real cowardly move."

The table goes silent, and Mikasa presses her fingers to her forehead in anticipation of the next move. Just as she mentally predicts, both boys are up and standing, chairs scraping loudly and crashing against the floor. In their usual, cocky, alpha-dog way, they initially grip each other's shirts and hurl ridiculous insults.

"You think you're hot stuff?!" Jean cries.

"What about you and your stupid hair?!"

"Boar-headed bastard!"

"Jackass!"

Armin yelps as his chair is rocked when the boys scramble into open space for a brawl.

"You son of a bitch!"

"Just don't hit each other's faces guys." Connie says nonchalantly, munching on an overly-thick cut of meat.

Marlo and Hitch's jaws drop, "What are they doing?" Marlo asks Mikasa.

"You're gonna rip it!"

"Ow!"

Mikasa just hums and shrugs her shoulders, scoffing into her mug at Eren's exclamation. A few of the younger Survey Corps members start to egg them on, shouting both encouragements and insults to either party.

"I'm being honest here..." Jean says as he jabs Eren in the stomach, "How many times over would you have died if you didn't have those Titan powers?" he goes to punch him again, and Eren dodges nimbly, "And how many times would Mikasa have to save you?!"

"Augh! Ow...shit!" Eren yelps when Jean nabs him in the ribs.

"You keep acting suicidal and I'll kill you!" Jean yells.

"I'll keep that in mind!" Eren ducks, "And you!" he swings his fist, hitting Jean squarely in the sternum, "Be nicer to your mom... _Jean-boy!"_ another swing to the torso.

"You better forget you ever heard that name, fucker!" Jean exclaims, infuriated.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Armin asks Mikasa, who watches with an expression that declares absolute normalcy.

"No, it's fine." she rests her chin upon her hand and watches, somewhat disinterested. After so long, all the 104th cadets have learnt not to worry about the skirmishes between these two. They're almost always performed for attention, or just instigated by wounded ego's. Nothing to truly worry about.

Eren and Jean come to a brief standstill, panting heavily and sweating profusely.

 _'Why isn't anyone trying to stop us?'_ Eren thinks to himself, somewhat desperate for it, as he's running out of steam, and this was only really for show, after all.

 _'I think I'm going to puke that meat back up...'_ Jean thinks to himself.

"Hey!"

Both boys barely turn to the source of the voice in time before Levi thrusts his knee into Eren's gut and grabs Jean around the middle, tossing him a few feet. The teen skids across the wooden floor and then promptly follows through with his thoughts and pukes upon coming to a stop.

"All of you are being too rowdy." Levi declares. "Go to bed."

"Yes sir!" practically the entire room shouts in unison, salutes, and then scatters like cockroaches.

"And clean that up." Levi points out as he walks past the retching Jean.

Mikasa and Armin help Eren to his feet, and he winces at the bruising in his stomach.

"I think I need to take better care of myself." the boy sighs as Armin lowers him to sit on the steps outside. "Why didn't you intervene?" he asks Mikasa, gaze accusing.

She shrugs with a slight smile, "I know you'll heal in no time."

"I can't believe you'd betray me like that! And after all we've been through..." he says, a smile evident in his voice.

"You're the one who started it." she says as she sits beside him. He nudges her shoulder, and she responds in kind.

"I noticed that your visit with Shadis kind of drained you..." Armin says, striking up conversation, "You act more energized now." he smiles warmly.

Eren nods, "I'm glad we went to see him. And I'm ready to do what needs to be done on this mission." a soft smile pulls at his lips, "But yeah, I do feel better. I've just been caught up worrying about things I don't need to worry about." he glances at Mikasa, "Like how I'm not all that strong, like you, Mikasa, and the Captain."

She hums in acknowledgment.

"I know I've said it before, but I still get a little jealous because I'm not like you two." he tilts his head and exhales, "But neither of you can win this fight on your own, none of us can. I think I've come to terms with the fact that this expedition will only succeed if we all combine our abilities and work together. As a unit." he glances at Armin, "And I think it's because of times like this, that we are all made differently."

Armin's eyes widen slightly at his pointed message, and he gives a soft smile in return. He looks down and nods, "Yeah. I bet you're right."

"When we regain Wall Maria, and defeat the Titans...do you think everything will go back? Back to those days when we were younger and the world wasn't so cruel?"

Both boys turn to Mikasa when she speaks, and they glance sidelong at one another before Eren answers, "We'll bring those days back if we have to." he laces his hand in hers as he says so. "But it won't _all_ come back...and _they_ need to pay for that." he adds, the fire in his eyes rekindled by his subdued thirst for vengeance against their wrongdoers.

Mikasa nods, "Yeah." she agrees.

Armin sits up straighter, "And that's not all, is it?" he turns to them with a smile, obviously lightening the suddenly somber mood, "The sea, remember?"

Eren and Mikasa share smiles.

"There's more than just the Titans outside the walls...fiery water, fields of snow and lands of ice...and we're going to see them all after this is all over!" he exclaims, standing up and spinning in a brief circle to showcase his excitement. "I joined the Survey a Corps to see all that, after all."

Eren nods, "Yeah, you did." It's nice to see Armin back to his old self like this. All enthusiasm and anxious to see the outside world, a true explorer at heart.

"We'll see the ocean first." he says, "Saltwater as far as the eye can see. And species of fish that you can only ever find there!"

Eren chuckles.

"You still don't really believe that, do you, Eren?" Armin bends down to eye level before his friend. "I swear it's all there! You just wait."

"Then I guess I'll just have to go see it myself, won't I?"

"You will." Armin grins.

(Levi listened to their conversation from the shadows all the while, remembering a time when he and his two friends had been just as optimistic about the outside...)

•

•

While they overlooked the lands outside the wall, a surprising crowd had shown up to wave goodbye from below in the city of Trost. They called up positive encouragement and asked them to take back Wall Maria.

"Tch...how selfish." Levi huffs to himself.

Hanji shrugs, "I suppose they were bound to find out we were leaving after the lift made so much noise."

"Actually-" Flegel pipes in sheepishly, "I ordered the meat from Reeves company."

"Damnit Flegel!" another soldier hisses.

The members of the 104th whoop and shout in response to the send-off. And eventually even Commander Erwin joins them.

Eren turns back around from looking over his shoulder. His gaze roams the plains briefly, and then he looks over to Mikasa on his left, Armin standing just beside her. And, like him, they both gaze out into the plains left behind more than five years ago. Their eyes seek out Wall Maria, yet she is too far for them to see. Eren knows it well, he's stood on this wall before, after all.

He takes Mikasa's hand, offering her a subtle smile and squeezing tenderly. "Time to go home." he says.

She looks up at him in surprise at that, and he thinks he sees tears in her eyes as she brings her scarf up to her face. Her hand reaches for Armin's, and the blonde takes it eagerly, visibly gulping at the prospect of today's mission.

"Yeah...home." she murmurs to the wind.

The outcome of today and tomorrow is a complete mystery. They can only hope, and pray, that they will all three of them make it out alive. It's time to find out the secret in the basement, to make their final stand. To survive. To live.

 _'Because we were born into this world.'_ Eren smiles once more as their turn to take the lift approaches.

•

•

 **A.N.**

 **I did take some creative freedom with this chapter so it isn't exactly like the manga, of course.**

 **After reading the Return to Shiganshina arc this ending just hurts, okay? Hurts like fucking hell.**

 **(** **ಥ** **﹏** **ಥ** **)**

 **I'm gonna go cry now, bye.**

 **But in all seriousness, thank you so much, my readers, for supporting me. I may start the third installment to this series soon, depending on how the damned manga turns out. Till then, love you all.**


End file.
